130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

3.11. Grey wolf
Canis lupus
Summary
Once the world’s most widely distributed mammal,
the Grey wolf declined in Europe as a result of
severe persecution, which confined it to areas in the
south and northeast by the 1970s. However, with
increasing public acceptance and legal protection,
increase in wild ungulate numbers, and subsequent
natural dispersal, the canid has been able to
regain much of its former territory. The species is
highly adaptable, and with the recent spread into
western Europe, continuing range expansion is
extremely likely. Management should therefore
focus on mitigating the inevitable rise in conflict
between wolves and humans.
Background
General description of the species
The Grey wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest wild canid
with a near continuous distribution throughout
the Northern hemisphere [1] . It is found north of
15°N latitude in North America and 12°N in India [1] .
The species has become extinct in much of western
Europe, in Mexico and the southern USA, and now
occurs in five subspecies in North America [1] and a
further six in Europe, where it is the second largest
predator after the Brown bear (Ursus arctos) [2] . The
wolf is mainly carnivorous, relying primarily on
large wild ungulates, but it also consumes smaller
vertebrates, invertebrates, fruits, carrion, livestock
and food waste [3] . The majority of individuals are
social and live in often familial packs in distinct
territories [4] , which are between 100 and 500 km²
large in Europe [2] . At varying size, packs have a
dynamic hierarchy with higher ranked individuals
participating in reproduction [2] . Wolves become
sexually mature at two years, when they either
leave the pack and disperse into new, often distant,
territories, or attempt to increase their ranking
within their group [2] .
Distribution in Europe
While the wolf was historically the world’s most
widely distributed mammal [5] , its current range is
much more restricted as a result of severe persecution
by humans due to predation of livestock and
fear of attack [6] . Towards the end of the 18 th century,
wolves were still found in most areas of Europe, but
due to the rise in human population during the 19 th
century, wolf abundance decreased considerably [7] .
The species continued to decline throughout
the 20 th century, particularly during the Second
World War. By the 1970s, it was only present in
parts of southern and northeastern Europe [7] . With
increasing public acceptance and legal protection,
and natural dispersal, the canid has been able to
recolonise the continent naturally [1] . It now occurs
in ten populations in a near continuous distribution
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