The Common misconceptions section of the EU Large Carnivores website provides a list of common questions on the presence of large carnivores in Europe. Here we select one to present in the newsletter, others are available online.

Common misconception: Wolves have been reintroduced to Europe

Wolves have returned naturally across the EU. The increase of wolf populations and range in Europe is due to natural processes including dispersal of new individuals; re-colonization of former (historical) range and establishment of meta-populations. Only in Finland have wolves occasionally been translocated across the country to avoid the Swedish population becoming genetically isolated (wolves are hunted in the Reindeer Herding Area located between the two countries and therefore cannot pass through easily).

While wolves have never been reintroduced, in a few cases bear populations have been augmented through population restocking-reintroduction (e.g. in Trento, Italy or the French Pyrenees). Reintroductions have however, been used most with lynx which does not naturally migrate easily (e.g. Switzerland, France, Germany).