A pack of eight wild wolves has been spotted just 50 kms from Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city. They were strolling down a woodland path.
The animals are gradually spreading westward across northern Europe. But the farther west they go, the more they enter densely populated areas.
Wolves in Germany were hunted to extinction in the early 1900s and only began to return 20 years ago. Now there are as many as 150 in the eastern part of the country.
Their reintroduction was natural rather than deliberate. They wandered into the country from neighbouring Poland.
In addition to Germany and Poland, wild populations of wolves have been seen in France, Sweden and Norway. Last year, sightings were made in Denmark for the first time in 200 years. Numbers have been increasing since 1950.
Farmers have expressed concern over the threat they pose to livestock, but the animals are protected in Germany and farmers whose livestock has been killed get compensated by the authorities.
Comments
In the not too distant future, we may have lots of protected wolves in Europe´s urban centres, in the same way that in Britain now, there are many urban foxes, also protected.
I do not see the point in allowing such animals a free run of our cities.