The wolf, every year more
Not long ago that Europe was full of wolves. About a hundred years ago, almost in any forest there was the wolf, at night in the form of grapes and hidden day. Man has always felt respect and admiration for the wolf. But you have to eat and the wolf kills the animals. There is no doubt: the wolf is a competitor.
For many years it has been customary to reward those who hunted wolves. In addition to the prize, the hunter enjoyed great prestige. Hence the captured wolves were exposed in the villages; it was a terrifying beast that often hunted with wild dogs. We had to die. And he was killed until his almost disappearance. In the Iberian Peninsula some specimens survived, in the foothills of Zamora and Galicia. They also lasted in the area of Russia. But in general, the wolf disappeared from all over Europe.
In the 1970s, two factors took great force. On the one hand, the ecological mentality spread and on the other, people left the villages and went to live in the city. The depopulation of rural areas and the assumption of wolf conservation in cities. Measures were put in place to protect the wolf and the situation changed radically, reducing the pressure exerted by man, which allowed colonizing many territories. Today, the Peninsula has more than 2,000 specimens, the largest population in Europe. But where are those wolves?
Below the mountain
The strong adaptive power of the wolf has allowed population growth. In fact, this species can endure in an ecosystem that is not healthy; it can even live by eating what the wolf finds in landfills. Therefore, several experts have questioned whether the inhabitants of the steppe are really 'natural'. However, the debate has contributed to the proliferation of the wolf, which adapts almost to any habitat.
The current situation of the wolf, in addition to its ability to adapt, has highlighted another characteristic: the widespread belief that the wolf lives spontaneously on the mountain or in the forest, is not correct; in the steppe, in the forest, on the coast, in the low and high mountains, in cold places, in hot places... almost all means are appropriate for the wolf.
It is true that due to human pressure, the populations were isolated in the mountains, since the areas occupied by man are in the valleys, but if allowed, the wolf can live anywhere.
At present, there has been a paradox around the place of residence of the wolf, which does not advance in the territories with more wild animals, that is, the most suitable to live naturally. And the reason is that it is in those places where the most pressure exerts the human being, because they are propitious places for the animals to be free.
In fact, from May to October approximately, it is common to leave the cattle loose on the mountain. They often have cows in Aralar, Urbasa or some places in the Pyrenees. Of course, animals should not be cared for if they have no natural enemies. And if it is not a wolf (or a bear), what animal does a healthy cow catch? Therefore, it is in these places that man places more obstacles to wolves.
A clear example is that of the breeding pastures of wild bulls. Bullfighting cattle are very expensive, so much care is taken, so despite the proliferation of the Iberian Peninsula, the wolf has not succeeded in the territories south of Salamanca and is about to disappear in Extremadura.
Wolf Menu
It is clear that the situation of the wolf is difficult to eat wild animals. Or at least to eat large wild animals. Deer, wild roe deer and similar animals are found in the most protected areas of the wolf by man. But the wolf has a great ability to adapt to other habitats, which means, among other things, that it can include in its diet many types of food.
A good example is the population of cerealist steppe wolves. What do they eat? In Estepa there are few wild animals; occasionally the wolf finds wild boars, but there are no deer, no wild goats, no other species present in the mountains. But in those areas there are cattle, sheep, cows, etc. As already mentioned, the wolf population is growing in these places, so it is logical to think that the steppe feeds on cattle.
To do this, the team of biologist Juan Carlos Blanco analyzed the diet of the wolf in the Iberian cerealist steppe, collecting and analyzing the excrements and talking with the shepherds of the area. Unsurprisingly, there were remains of cattle in the wastes. Rabbits, wild boars, partridges and other wild species also appeared, but the basis of the diet was cattle. However, in most cases, pastors did not report missing specimens. There was no trace of wolf hunting in the surroundings.
What was going on? The answer was simple: the wolf is a scavenger, that is, he usually ate dead cattle, not captured. To do this, the researchers used radiotransmitters to monitor wolves. During the night, wolves were looking for dead cattle, which they ate mainly.
Wolf and grazing
The shepherds of Estepa and other places have no problems with the wolf. Of course, they have to use shepherds and care for livestock. According to experts, to live with the wolf, it is only necessary to collect livestock and use shepherds during the night. It will occasionally kill a cow or a pair of sheep, but it will not be a real problem.
The biggest problem, therefore, is for the shepherd: he has to be with the cattle if he does not want to lose it. And in many places this custom has been lost. In these places it is difficult to live with the wolf. Among other things, this is why the wolf has not been successfully incorporated into Alava. The Albanian shepherds are not usually with the cattle.
Hence the question. Do we want to live with the wolf? Or is it enough that the wolf is in some places, far from us? To live together we should make a great effort, among other things, to adapt the life of the shepherds. Let us not forget that it is a fascinating and conservation worthy species. Let us not forget that cattle are the shepherd's trade, so it is very important to protect their interest.
How are wolf populations accounted for?According to experts, the Iberian Peninsula has more than 2,000 wolves. How can they know? It's not easy, instead of counting wolves, groups count. Do not forget that the group is the basic social structure of the wolf. The group consists of an average of ten wolves. And therefore, knowing the average number of wolves in each group, you can know the population. When there are young, the team does not make long trips. They are born in May, but in the first two months they are in the pit, so the counts begin in July and end in September. |
The wolf in Euskal HerriaThe wolf entered Alava in 1988 and, according to data from the biologists, had their first breeding two years later. However, they have remained to the west of the province and have not 'colonized' Euskal Herria. Apparently, the wolf finds too many obstacles to move forward. The reasons can be many: the human population is very large in such a small area, problems with farmers, etc. Therefore, the evolution of the wolf in Euskal Herria is not comparable to that of the peninsula. However, in Alava it has not been lost. |
Zu idazle
Zientzia aldizkaria
