NorwayWolves

For thousands of years, large numbers of wolves have roamed Norway. Today there are only between 8 and 15 left in the wilderness, and recently two of these few remaining wolves were shot by the authorities. One of the wolves had killed 16 sheep. By way of comparison, over 40 sheep die each hour during the summer season without any interference of predators. They die from reasons like parasites, flystrike, poisoned plants, illnesses and injuries. 130.000 sheep suffer and die every summer in the Norwegian wilderness, and only 3000-4000 of these can be documented killed by predators.

Still the sheep industry is about to cause the extermination of the wolves, and also the bears. In 2006 there were only 71 bears left in the Norwegian woods, and even this number is too high for the government and the sheep industry. Many bears are killed every year. As a result of this killing policy, the mortality in the bear population is higher then the growth and the bears face the same tragic fate as the wolves.

Last year no wolves were born free in Norway, but recently 6 wolf cubs were discovered. Although the authorities applaud this growth in the almost exterminated wolf population, many people fear for the lives of the wolf cubs, as they are born in an area decided as wolf-free by the government. We remember what happened in 2001 to another wolf family that was traced outside the decided wolf area – they were all chased down by helicopter hunters and mercilessly slaughtered.

We now need your help to save the last wolves of Norway, and make sure that the authorities will spare the lives of the 6 wolf cubs and their parents. We also need your help to press the government to realize that it is the sheep-farmers responsibility to look properly after their sheep, to avoid the horrible mass-death of sheep and lambs in the wilderness every summer, and the chasing and killing of every predator that is believed to have killed sheep. Norway is obliged through international agreements, like the Bern-convention, to protect wolves and bears, and the government can’t ignore these agreements and continue their killing policy. Your help is very much needed and appreciated! Please write to the following addresses expressing your concern.

The Minister of Environment, Erik Solheim: miljovernministeren@md.dep.no

The Minister of Agriculture, Lars-Peder Brekk: lars-peder.brekk@lmd.dep.no

The Directorate of nature management: postmottak@dirnat.no