Norway to kill 25% of its wolves

Norway to kill 25% of its wolves, by Alex Kirby (BBC News website environment correspondent)

The Norwegian government has decided to kill five of the country's grey wolves - a quarter of the entire population. It says the decision is necessary to protect domestic livestock, but one campaign group has condemned the cull. WWF-Norway says two wolves have been shot already, one of them from a pack which has not been targeted and which it fears may now not manage to survive. Wolves are protected in Norway, and are listed as critically endangered, and WWF says many people oppose the cull. The decision to kill five animals out of the 20 remaining in Norway was taken by the nature directorate, which advises the government. WWF-Norway is calling for an immediate halt to the hunt. Its head, Rasmus Hansson, said:

"If the Norwegian environment minister does not stop this hunt, he will have the dubious honour of allowing the regular hunting of a nationally endangered species. The culling of 20-30% of a population this size is a serious threat to the survival of this species in Norway. This practice is contrary to internationally accepted standards for wildlife management. No other country that I know of has such an aggressive policy towards its wolves."

The Norwegian parliament decided last May the country should sustain at least three family packs of wolves. Packs can range in size from two adults to 10 or more animals covering several generations. WWF says the current hunt will reduce the number of packs to two at most. Mr Hansson told the BBC:

"One wolf from the pack to be culled was shot on 15 January, and another female from a different pack on 21 January. We don't know the exact size of the targeted pack, because we don't know whether it produced any cubs last summer. If it did, they will be left orphaned. [Steady decline] Now, in all likelihood, by killing the wrong animal they've ruined another pack. The animal was an alpha female, so breeding may be affected and the pack could dissolve."

WWF says there were an estimated 50-80 wolves in the southern part of Norway and Sweden in 2001, consisting of several families. That year Norway approved the culling of eight out of its 25 wolves, leaving 20 today, because the target was not met. A recent study of the wider Scandinavian wolf population concluded there were 120 at the most.

Mr Hansson said:

"There is a serious risk of genetic degradation in this population because of its small size. A genetically healthy population... should have at least 800 individuals."

He told the BBC: "The cull is meant to protect sheep. Sheep farming occupies 90% of Norway's territory.

"We have 250-300,000 moose and 30,000 reindeer. In that perspective 800 wolves shouldn't be too many, though we've never suggested it - it's just a biological fact."

Read the whole article on the BBC site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4194963.stm

Buy a gift and help the WWF

The purchase of these products or services benefits WWF both by increasing awareness for endangered wildlife and their habitats, and by raising revenue for WWF's conservation efforts around the world.
Visit WWF's online shops - a perfect place for the environmentally aware shopper!

Achetez un cadeau et aidez le WWF

L'achat de ces produits ou services bénéficient au WWF en sensibilisant ceux qui les reçoivent à la protection des espèces menacées et de leurs habitats, et en apportant des revenus aux actions du WWF dans le monde entier.
Visitez les boutiques en ligne du WWF - l'endroit rêvé pour ceux qui se préoccupent de l'environnement au travers de leurs achats!

Wolves and bears in danger in Slovakia!

Slovakian Ministry of Environment signed allowance to shoot to least 63 bears. Those bears have not done any damage and have not wouded any humans. Last year allowance was signed for 71 animals (and the limit have not been fulfilled). Additionaly 3-10 bears a year are killed for doing damages (and we do not complain about this now). Last year hunters shoot at least 112 wolves (and that is equivalent to the number of wolves born a year).  Propably similar numer of wolves will be shoot this year.

Both wolf (Canis lupus L.) and bear (Ursus arctos L.) are protected under Bernen Convention and  european  directive 92/43/EEC. Since wolves an bears live near Slovak borders kiling animals in Slovakia will have impact on the other countries (including Poland).

Your help is needed to stop the slaughter.

What you have to do now:

1. Inform everybody who might be concerned (including NGO's and your government)
2. Send email with your concern about matter to Slovak Minister of Environment - minister@enviro.gov.sk
   (http://www.enviro.gov.sk/minis/mini_zivot.htm) with a copy (CC) to juro@wolf.sk
3. Write a letter with complains to: 

Ministerstvo Zivotného prostredia SR
László Miklós, minister
Námestie òudovíta µtúra 1
812 35 Bratislava

Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva SR
Zsolt Simon, minister
Dobroviƒova 12
812 66 Bratislava

Where to get more information

1. Lesoochranarske Zoskupenie VLK http://www.wolf.sk
2. Wolves in Slovakia http://www.wolf.sk/strielanie_vlk.php
3. Bears in Slovakia http://www.wolf.sk/medvede.php
4. Letter about current situation http://www.wolf.sk/listy_pl.php

D-day remembered... 60 years ago, young american soldiers (and others) came and made us free from the nazi tyranny.

Souvenir du jour J. Il y a 60 ans, de jeunes américains (et d'autres) sont venus nous délivrer de la tyrannie nazie.

Alaskan wolves need your help!

ACT NOW!!! You CAN save Alaskan wolves with your pen, phone and mouse!
Learn more about...

Yesterday, wolves were gods, like lion were. Hope we neve have to pay for the betrayal. No, I'm not crying about the "good old time of shamanism", it's just that you should question yourself about mankind's survival too.

Hier, les loups étaient des dieux, tout comme l'étaient les lions. éspérons que nous ne devrons pas payer pour cette trahison. Non, je ne pleure pas sur le "bon vieux temps du chamanisme", c'est simplement que vous devriez vous poser des questions quant à la survie de l'humanité.

Alaskan wolves need your help!

ACT NOW!!! You CAN save Alaskan wolves with your pen, phone and mouse!

Please write yourself a letter, fax or make a call to Alaska Governour andpeople in the Alaska Board of Game to inform them what do you think about slaughter of wolves in Alaska.

List of contacts for Alaska oficials can be found here:

http://www.wolf.com/Info/Contact_Information.html

Please find more information and sign petitions at :

• http://www.savealaskawolves.org/
• http://www.savealaskawolves.org/huntingpermit.pdf
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/372846429
• http://www.clanloups.com/petitionEng.html

Happy Christmas - Happy new year...

I hope that next year, the Alaska wolves remain unthreaten by airborne gunned drunkyards.

I hope I'm able to tell my children the world is a nice place to be, and that many people, to who you belong to are doing their best to.

I hope that I will have an Internet connection at home.

Thanks you all, furries, filkers and others to have given me so much joy this year. I hope I gave you a bit, too.

Your friend, Griffure.

J'espère que l'année prochaine les loups d'Alaska ne seront plus menacé par des ivrognes armé À bord d'avions.

J'espère pouvoir dire À mes enfants que le monde est un bel endroit, et qu'il y a plein de gens, dont vous faites partie qui font des efforts en ce sens.

J'éspère que l'année prochaine, je disposerai d'une connection Internet chez moi.

Merci À tous, furries, filkers et autres qui m'avez donné tant de joie cette année. J'espère vous en avoir donné un peu aussi.

Votre ami, Griffure.

Should we boycott French mutton ?

As a wolf cub has been poisonned in French Mercantour Park (by a shepherd, you can bet..), I will no more buy French mutton. Are our friends in New Zealand and Australia cleaner ?
www.hurlements.info.

Doit-on boycotter le mouton français ?

Alors qu'un louveteau a été empoisonné dans le parc du Mercantour (par un gentil berger, on peut parier...), je n'achéterai plus de mouton français. Est-ce que nos amis de Nouvelle Zélande et d'Australie sont plusclean?
www.hurlements.info.

American people, dont let them do that !

The Bush administration is proposing far-reaching changes to conservation policies that would allow hunters, circuses and the pet industry to kill, capture and import animals on the brink of extinction in other countries.
www.washingtonpost.com, by Shankar Vedantam, Washington Post Staff Writer - Saturday, October 11, 2003; Page A01

Peuple américain, ne les laisse pas faire ça !

L'administration Bush propose un changement radical quant à la conservation des espèces qui permettrait aux chasseurs, aux cirques et à l'industrie des animaux familiers, de capturer et d'importer des animaux en voie d'extinction dans d'autres pays.
www.washingtonpost.com, by Shankar Vedantam, Washington Post Staff Writer - Saturday, October 11, 2003; Page A01.