Wolf Status Survey Results
Data Compiled by Luigi Boitani
in 2000
| Country | # wolves | densities/ 100Km2 (max) | population trend | total area (Km2) | estimate method | legal protection | enforcement | legally killed /year | illegally killed /year | responsibility | compensation | total paied in 1999 US $ | total estimated yearly damage | prevention method | information progr. | monitoring progr. | conservation activ. | research progr. | Notes |
| Canada | 50000-63000 | stable | 80% of Canada | fully protected only inside Nat. Parks south of 60 latitude (2% of total range). Furbearer in the rest of the country | |||||||||||||||
| Croatia | 100-150 | 0.58 -0.88 | incr. | 17270 | local estimates | yes | no | 6 -10 (shot) | Min Environment and physical planning | yes, by the state | 70000 | in 1997: 640 sheep, 240 goats, 55 other | dog (67%), shepherd (70%) | Human dimension survey | not complete | 2 wolves radioed in Dalmatia | illegal mortality increased after protection. | ||
| Finland | 100 | territory size 600-1600 km2 | stable | track counts | yes on the area south of reindeer areas (special licences may be granted). In reindeer area season open 1.11 - 31.3 | yes | 5-15 total (legal and illegal) | shot | Min Agric. And Forestry | yes, by the state | 1.3 million for all predators. Wolf about 50000 | none | several activities (govern., WWF, others) | Border Patrol Establishment and Game Res. Institute | |||||
| France | 30-40 | 2 - 2.7 | incr. | 2500 | snowtracking | yes | poorly | 7 since 1992 (shot and poisoned) | Min. Environment | yes, by the state | 278820 | in 1999: 1753 animals, mostly sheep | dogs and/or shepherd (50%) | yes, but weak | yes, managed at national level | intensive tracking in Mercantour NP | a national plan with zoning has been proposed (March 2000) but implementation will be difficult | ||
| Germany | < 5 (lone wolves) | stable | no | yes | yes | 1-2 (shot) | Min. of Envir. (Laender) | yes, by the Min. Env. | none | none | none | yes | no | Wolf Management Plan exist, but implementation delaied until wolves are resident | |||||
| India | 1500 - 3000 | 0.5 - 5 | decr. | very large | educated guess, radiotelemetry in 3 areas | yes | rarely | hundreds poisoned and killed at dens | Forest Department | in some states, by the Forest Dept. | in the state of Maharashtra 20000-40000 for all predators | about 70% of all wolves subsist on livestock | shepherd (95%), dogs. Corrals at night | no | no | in 3 areas | |||
| Italy | 400-500 | 2 (5) | incr. | 25,000 | density extrapolation | yes since 1976 | no | _ | 50-70 (shot and poisoned) | Regional Govern., Min. Environment | yes, by Regional Gov. | ca. 1,000,000 $ | ca. 500,000$ | guarding dogs, enclosures | national, by conserv. Organizations | not formally organized | yes | yes | |
| Norway | 20-40 (20 of these are shared with Sweden) | 1 (within territories) | incr. | 15000 | snowtracking, radiotelemetry | yes | yes | some ? | Directorate of nature management | yes, by each county | 11000 | in 1999: 622 sheep and 1 cattle | move sheep away from wolf areas | yes, but weak | yes | yes | |||
| Poland | 500-600 (official: 900) | 4 - 6 local | incr. | 20-30000 | snowtracking by hunters | yes | not always | unknown (shot and snared) | national government | yes, by national government | 40000 (in 1998) | in 1998: 250 sheep, 180 cattle, 9 goats and 2 dogs | dogs, corrals at night, shepherd | no | no | yes | |||
| Russia | 40000 - 50000 | 2 | stable | 75% of Russia | winter tracking | no | no | 14850 (no season and quotas; premium US$ 25/wolf) | Min. Agriculture (Hunting Dept.) | no | ? | killing wolves | no | yes (snowtracking) | poison is illegal but is used in many areas (Central-Eastern Siberia and European North-West of Russia) | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | 600-700 | stable | whole country | guesses | no | > 20 (shot, poisoned, trapped) | nobody | no | killing wolves | informal | no | a survey is currently being carried out | |||||||
| Sweden | 35-50 | incr. | 100000 | snowtracking and radiotelemetry | yes | not always | < 5 (shot) | Environmental Protection Agency | yes, by the Same Assembly in reindeer areas and by the County in the rest of Sweden | 21985 for wolf presence in reindeer areas; 2500 for wolf-killed sheep | in 1999: 17 sheep kiled, 4 injured | electric fences | yes | yes, in cooperation with Norway | yes | ||||
| Portugal | 300-400 | 2 (5) | stable | 18,000 | "expert" estimates | yes | only in some areas | _ | 20-25 | Min. Environment | yes, by Inst. Conser. Natureza | 286000 $ | 270-300,000 $ | guarding dogs (used by all shepherds) | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Spain | 2000 | 2 (5-7) | incr. | 100,000 | estimates of # wolf packs | game species (protected in the south) | no | ca 100 (each region decides season, quotas) | ca. 400 (60% shot, 20% pups at den) | 9 autonomous regions | yes but varies with regional laws | ca. 500,000 $ | ca. 1,000,000 $ (1988) | guarding dogs and shepherds | small programs by local groups | not formally organized | yes | yes | |
| Switzerland | no ? | _ | _ | _ | _ | yes | _ | _ | _ | Federal Forestry Off., Cantonal Governmens | yes, by Cantons | _ | _ | _ | yes | no | _ | _ | |
| Estonia | <500 | ? | decr/stab | 20,000 | track counts | no (the only outlawed species) | _ | 200-300/year | _ | Min.Environment, Forest Dept, Game Board | no (insurance policies too expensive) | _ | _ | killing wolves | none | yes (tracks, scats at monitoring stations) | no | no | |
| Lithuania | 600 | up to 5-8 in forest | incr. | whole country | track counts | no | _ | 125 (july to april) | ? | Game Board and Ministry of Environment | no (only if animals were insured) | _ | _ | killing wolves | none | official census | no | no | |
| Latvia | 900 | ? | stable | 64,600 | track counts | no (hunted throughout the year) | _ | 380 (premium = 130$/wolf) | _ | State Forest Service | no | important on sheep and dogs | none | starting | official census on March 1 by summing counts from forestry units | no | no | ||
| Belarus | 2000-2500 | ? | incr./st. | whole country | track counts | no | _ | 1600-1800, mostly shot (premium paied) | _ | Min. Natural Resources | no | _ | _ | none | none (only negative press articles) | yes, yearly snowtracking census in February | no | no | |
| Ukraine | 2-3000 ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Czek Republic | <20 | ? | incr. | 1500 | track counts | yes | yes | _ | _ | Min. Environment | no | _ | ? | guarding dog | none | track counts | no | no | |
| Slovakia | 350-400 | 2.5 | stable | 16,000 | track counts in every hunting unit | yes since 1995 (exceptions) | very weak | a new law to be approved to grant shooting permits | 20-30 | Min. Environment and Min. Agriculture | no (in preparation) | not very serious | guarding and chained dogs | none | none (only hunting statistics) | yes | yes | ||
| Slovenia | 30-50 | ? | incr. | 3500 | track counts | yes | yes | _ | ? | Min. Environment | yes, by the State | 23,000 $ | 120 sheep, 20 goats | fences, guarding dog | yes | track counts | yes | no | |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | 400 ? | 1-1.2 | decr. | 37,000 | track counts | no | no | ? | ? | ? | no | _ | ? | ? | no | no | ? | ? | |
| Yugoslav Federation | 500 ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Hungary | <50 | ? | stable | 6,000 | track counts | yes (exceptions) | yes | shooting permits | ? | local Conservation Agency, Hunters' Societies | no | _ | ? | none | none | none | no | no | |
| Romania | 2500 | 2-3 | incr. | 70,000 Km2 | track counts | yes (hunting permits) | weak | >500 | _ | Min. Water, Forest & Env. Protection | no | _ | ? | guarding dog, killing | locally | none, national census by summing local estimates | yes | yes | |
| Moldavia | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Bulgaria | 800-1000 | ? | incr. | ? | # killed animals and questionnaires | no | only in protected areas | 473 (1995): no season or quota, premium = 20 DM | _ | Min. Environment, Min. Agriculture | no | _ | ? | guarding dogs, 80% | yes | no, only data on killed animals | yes | no, but planned in 1998 in two NP | |
| Greece | 500-700 | 1 | decr. | 20,000 | harvest data, questionnaires to hunters, shepherd | yes since 1991 | not always | only after prefect authorization | 10 | Min. Agriculture, local forestry service | yes, 80% paied by ELGA (Greek Org. Farmers Insurance) | _ | _ | guarding dogs | to be launched in 1998 | to be launched in 1998 | to be launched in 1998 | to be launched in 1998 | |
| FYR Macedonia | >1000 | ? | incr. | 100% | "expert" estimates | no | no | ? | _ | ? | no | _ | _ | guarding dogs | none | none | no | no | |
| Albania | 250 | ? | incr. | 7,000 Km2 | transects | si | si | only with special authorization | _ | Min. Agriculture | no | _ | _ | guarding dogs,100% | none | none | no | no |