| Home | Wolf Photos 1 | Wolf Photos 2 | Wolf Photos 3 | Wolf Art Gallery 1 | Wolf Art Gallery 2 | Forum | Guestbook | WebRings |
|
|
The wolf population in Finland is still very small and wolf is classified as a very
endangered species. This is why there is a need to increase the number of wolves under
the control of administrative authorities.
In the year 2000 there were only about 100 wolves in Finland. At present in 2006 the number of them is about 200. The authorities have made a special management plan, which defines all the necessary measures to be taken in all wolf-related questions, including the expected increase of the Finnish wolf population. The plan to increase the number of wolves and to expand their regional habitats has met a lot of resistance and caused various problems in the country. The public debate about these issues in the Finnish media has fiercely been going on year by year. Reindeer husbandry covers about one third of the total area of the country. This large area, which is also the traditional habitat of the Finnish wolf population, includes all Lapland and some other northern parts of the country. Wolves are not accepted by reindeer-owners, because they cause considerable damage to the reindeer husbandry. Hunters also regard wolves as a threat, because every year wolves kill some 30 – 50 dogs during the elk-hunting season. Wolves also kill some other domestic animals in small amount every year (e.g. sheep). In some parts of the country worried parents have organized transportation to their children, because they fear the wolves may attack the children on their way to school. (The state is not obliged to offer free transportation to the school children, if the distance from home to school is less than 5 km). The people wanting to protect our wolves continuously remind the public, that the animal is absolutely an endangered species and of no threat to human beings. According to official records wolves have killed people in the 19th century. Ever since there have been no attacks or attempts to harm a human being by wolves. |
|
The majority of the Finnish wolf population lives in the wildernesses near the
Russian border crossing it in both ways, mostly from Russia to Finland. In many
ways this is a big problem. The authorities would like to see the wolf population
to spread out to the whole country. At the moment this is not the case. This
fact causes problems to the wolves. The people in the eastern part of Finland
find the wolf population too large. However, when wolves try to spread out to
other parts of the country, they are confronted with great fear and prejudice
in their new habitats. Wolf seems to be an unwanted quest in the whole country.
Poaching is also a great threat to the Finnish wolf population. The authorities do not know the exact number of wolves killed by the poachers. Some cases are revealed every year. Wolves have full protection under the EU Habitats Directive. The only exception is an individual considered to be a serious danger to people or property, and even then the killing has to be supervised. EU sues Finland over wolf hunting The EU Commission has brought legal action against Finland in the Court of Justice of the European Communities over wolf hunting. Environmental legislation of the EU requires for wolves to be protected, and killing it knowingly is not permitted, excluding some exceptions. However, Finland allows the systematic hunting of wolves, according to the Commission. Hunting permits are granted based on quotas, and they are not restricted to harmful individual wolves. Finland has a month to reply to the allegations. The court process may take years. (STT 27.9.2005). |
|
|
|
|
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae. Gray wolves usually live in packs, led by an "alpha pair." The pack
includes some of the alpha pair's offspring and may include some unrelated wolves.
A pack's territory can be as large as 13,000 square km. Howling probably helps advertise
who "owns" a particular piece of territory. When pups are born, the mother stays near
them for the first three weeks, and her mate and others in the pack bring food to her.
The pups are weaned when they about nine weeks old. As adults, they may travel as far
as 72 km a day with their pack and run as fast as 70 km per hour.
Also known as: Wolf, Timber Wolf, Tundra Wolf, Lobo, Prairie Wolf, Mexcian Wolf, Arctic Wolf. Length: Average: 1,100 mm males; 1,050 mm females. Range: 1,000-1,300 mm males; 870-1,170 mm females. Weight: Average: 55 kg males; 45 kg females. Range: 30-80 kg males; 23-55 kg females. Smithsonian Institution. 
|
|
Helsinki 28.12.2005
Management plan for the wolf population in Finland now completed. A new management plan for the wolf population in Finland describes the actions that the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will implement in managing the country’s wolf population and handling conflict situations involving wolves. The management plan for the wolf population is the first of the management plans for individual game species now being prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The management plan was prepared in compliance with international regulatory frameworks and taking into account the international obligations placed on Finland concerning management of the wolf population. During the various stages of preparation of the management plan, local people, regional players and national interest organizations were extensively heard. The management plan for the wolf population in Finland is divided into two main sections. The first section sets the background for the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s policy vis-ŕ-vis the wolf population. It describes the biology of the wolf and the status of the wolf population and compares the situation in Finland with international research where relevant. The first section also deals with topics such as international legislation, international obligations and forms of cooperation, the economic losses caused by wolves, the shared history of the wolf and man, previous aims of wolf population management and the nature of that management so far. Further, the first section comprises research material drawn from the hearing procedure which is closely linked with the practical section of the plan, i.e. the actual management plan. The practical management plan presents guidelines based on the biology of the wolf, on the one hand, but also on socio-economic facts that are considered important in this context on the other, all of which the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will apply in its continued systematic management of the wolf population in Finland. The fundamental aim of management is to maintain a favourable conservation status for the wolf population. This aim will be implemented through the combined effect of different measures. Measures are proposed for aspects such as the management of regional wolf populations, the prevention of damage and its costs, compensation for damage, the granting of exceptions from the protection of wolves, monitoring the wolf population, research and how to develop it, the provision of advisory services and information, supervision of hunting and cooperation among the various parties involved. In September 2005, the European Commission referred Finland to the European Court of Justice over the way Finland is handling its wolf population. Finland contested these claims in a response dated 7 December 2005. The management plan for the wolf population represents a way of demonstrating to the European Commission how Finland intends to manage its wolf population in the particular circumstances that prevail in Finland with respect to this matter. (MMM press release). Russian Wolf 
Russian wolves are among the largest subspecies of gray wolf in the world. They occur in North Central Russia and are hunted legally. Their numbers have declined sharply since the early twentieth century due to a combination of federal wolf hunting initiatives and bounties, both of which have been largely discontinued since the fall of the Soviet Union. According to V.V. Kozlov, a researcher in the Oksy Reserve and the Stolby Reserve in the 1950's and 1960's, the USSR destroyed 42,300 wolves in 1945, 62,700 wolves in 1946, 58,700 wolves in 1947, 57,600 in 1948, and 55,300 in 1949. From 1950 until 1954, an average of 50,000 wolves were killed annually in the USSR. The wolf survived mostly because of the vast amount of territory that was not inhabited by humans. The struggle continued where wolves and humans lived side-by-side. As a result, their numbers have stabilized somewhat. In the whole Russia there are nowadays about 30 000 wolves. Wolf Song of Alaska. Wolfphotos on this page Copyright © Staffan Widstrand Email : photo@staffanwidstrand.se 
Map of Finland - CIA Public Domain. Painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson’s Mammals of North America, © Princeton University Press (2002). |
|
||||||||||||
|
In the Spirit of Wolf
The wolf has been much misunderstood and maligned in history and is not the vicious intruder of western fairy tales. The wolf is a shy, yet very sociable creature with strong rules of behavior. Fear of the wolf is perhaps born when its eerie howl raises the hackles on our neck and in our souls. Maybe we do not fear the wolf at all, but only the wild nature within ourselves. To American Indians, the wolf is said to be "teacher" medicine. We study wolfs ways of hunting and their social structure. The wolf is associated with the Dog Star, Sirus and some cultures belief humans came from this distant star. Wolf has much to teach us, if only we will listen. WOLF MEDICINE Wolves live in a communal structure like humans. The Alpha male and female lead a strict social order. Next in the order are Beta wolves who do not breed and serve as nursemaids for pups of the pack. The Omega wolf is at the bottom rung and is the 'scapegoat' in situations when the pack is being attacked. Often the Omega wolf is forced not to eat when food is scarce. If wolf has entered the forest of your mind, it may be to teach you that all things in nature have order amid chaos and to accept your duties in life, whether they be leadership roles or otherwise, with humility and strength. The wolf spirit teaches us to have balance between your personal needs and those of the family and community. Wolves are absolutely committed and loyal to the pack and find their place within the group. If wolf exhibits these traits, it may mean that you must examine your function within the community and loyalty. It may also be a sign to bring better balance to the varied interests of self, family and community. The hunting techniques of wolves served as an example for many tribes who copied them. Members of the pack form 'tag teams' who take turns chasing prey to exhaust the prey before themselves. Packs are known to have run over thirty miles a day in pursuit. Cooperation in achieving a common goal is the message conveyed here. Wolves have developed many ways to communicate by body language and vocally. Facial expressions, tail and ear movements, body posture, teeth bearing, eye squinting and scratching are part of their vocabulary. Vocally, a wide variety of growls, yelps, whines and howls make up a sophisticated system of communication. Wolf language helps the pack to identify and locate its members, establish territorial boundaries, give instruction, request assistance, sound warnings, teach the young, and generally to bring cohesion and unity to the pack. If a wolf or wolves have entered your physic, you are fortunate to have an animal spirit to knows the importance of communication and one that will find many ways to make their messages know to you. This ability to communicate may be a sign to hone your own speaking skills to effectively relate your feelings and ideas in a good way - to pray, sing and dance in praise of the blessings of the Creator. When a lone wolf is seen the wild it symbolizes freedom. When seen in a pack it represents community. If wolf appears to you alone or in a pack it is asking you to acquire the same within your own life. The primal and piercing howl of the wolf sometimes is marking their territory boundaries. If you hear a wolf howl it might be telling you to stand your ground and defend your boundaries. Wolves have great stamina and strength. They do not fight needlessly and often avoid fighting whenever possible. Wolf teaches to know who you are and to develop strength and confidence. Wolf is associated with the lunar influences and energies that rule psychic perception. They teach us to respect our emotions and face the darkness within. The wolf is ritualistic. It knows the importance of regular lunar howling ceremonies and daily social rituals designed to communicate needs and express feelings. The message of your wolf spirit may be to honor the forces of spirituality and connect with the life forces of Mother Earth. (BigCat Rescue) Wolflinks - Finland - A wolf consumes ten elk in a year on average - Worldwide first: GPS-GSM collar on a finnish wolf - Seppo Ronkainen howls to bring the wolf cubs out - The life and times of a lonely GPS wolf - Management Plan for the Wolf Population in Finland (pdf) - Management plan for the wolf population in Finland now completed - Wolflinks - Russia, Sweden, Norway - North-America - Wolf Russland - Wolf cull dilemma for Russia - Norwegian wolves - European Wolves - How and why the wolf was eradicated from much of Europe - Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe - International Wolf Center - Wolf Web - Gray Wolf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Wolf Park - Wolf Country - Wolves Offered Life and Friendship - Gray Wolf - Wolf Education and Research Center - Boomer Wolf Web Site - Wolf Haven International - Timber Wolf Information Network - Wild Wolves - Gray Wolf - Wolf Tracker - Mission:Wolf--Sanctuary for Wolves - California Wolf Center - The Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, Lucerne Valley, Calif. - UK Wolf Conservation Trust - Wolf Conservation Center - Wolf Source - Lakota Wolf Preserve - WCSRC - The Wolf Sanctuary - The Mexican Wolf Recovery Program Home - USFWS - World of the Wolf - Yellowstone Wolf Restoration - Wolf Timbers - Two centuries of the Scandinavian wolf population: patterns of genetic variability and migration during an era of dramatic decline. - Lioncrusher's Domain -- Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) facts and pictures - |
|
|
