Sweden to allow culling of 72 wolves in 2027 — Asharq Al-Awsat

Sweden said it will allow the culling of 72 wolves in five counties near Stockholm from January 2 to February 15, 2027. This came after an administrative court last year blocked the planned culling of 48 animals. This was reported by Asharq Al-Awsat.

The authorities’ argument

Sweden is estimated to have around 355 wolves. County administrations said the small Scandinavian population has a problem with inbreeding, so its reduction should take place gradually and in parallel with measures to counter this problem.

The Swedish government has sought to reduce the wolf population for more than 15 years, drawing objections from conservationists. Licensed wolf hunting was permitted in the country from 2010, when their number exceeded 200 individuals.

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Environmentalists’ objections

Last year, environmental organizations challenged licenses to cull 48 wolves and succeeded in having the decision overturned. The administrative court ruled that county administrations had not proven that hunting would not harm a healthy wolf population.

Beatrice Rindevall, chair of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, called the new plan unacceptable, as approximately every fifth wolf in the country could be culled. According to her, hunting could worsen the inbreeding situation in the population.

At the same time, farmers and hunters consider wolves a threat because of attacks on sheep and hunting dogs and advocate stricter control of their numbers. In the 1960s, wolves in Sweden were almost exterminated through hunting, after which the species was placed under protection. The animals began reappearing in the late 1970s and in the 1980s, and their population grew throughout the 1990s.