Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S Iberian wolf population is dwindling according to a government census.
Figures compiled by the Ministry for Ecological Transition suggest that wolf numbers have been surpassed by those of the Iberian lynx, which was in danger of extinction two decades ago.
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Moran, confirmed that ‘there are fewer wolves than lynxes’.
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The previous census covered the period between 2012 and 2014 where there were around 2,500 wolves grouped into 297 packs.
The figures for the new wolf study were not declared by Moran at a breakfast meeting on Wednesday, but the latest lynx numbers from last year came in at 2,401 including 844 cubs born in 2024.
“All administrations have implemented policies to reintroduce the lynx into their areas and we must reflect on why that does not happen to the wolf, especially if they provide the same of service to the ecosystem,“ said Moran.
“Let’s be aware that we are facing the same problem. We cannot choose to protect only a percentage of nature. It must be protected as a whole,” he added.
The wolf was removed two months ago from the List of Wild Species under Protection for land north of the Duero River with several areas finalising plans to kill them.
The Cantabria regional government says that nine wolves have been killed, as animal rights groups have launched a variety of legal challenges.
Questioned over the government allowing hunters to use lead ammunition, Hugo Moran said: “The sooner we stop using lead, the better we will be.”
