This wolf was stunned in Dovre municipality on Friday. Photo: The Norwegian Environment Agency/Statens naturoppsyn
A 45-kilogram male wolf that wandered in from Finland or Russia in December was anesthetized and moved to Våler municipality by the Norwegian Nature Conservancy on Thursday.
Friday 5 April at 22:38
A radio-tagged male wolf that has been wandering around Dovre was sedated from a helicopter on Friday and moved to Våler municipality in Innlandet within the wolf zone. according to The Norwegian Environment Agency the wolf is very valuable to the Scandinavian wolf tribe, which is highly inbred.
– The Scandinavian wolf tribe is highly inbred and such immigrating wolves from Finland/Russia are therefore very valuable. Our main goal with marking and relocation is to ensure that the wolf survives and gets to pass its genes into the wolf tribe, says Erik Lund, section leader in the Norwegian Environment Agency.
The wolf was tracked down by ground personnel in Dovre municipality on Friday morning. After sedation from the helicopter, the radio transmitter was changed and placed in a transport cage.
– The wolf’s transmitter was switched on and then placed in a transport cage to monitor the awakening before it was transported by car to the release site, says Veronica Sahlén, section leader in the Norwegian Nature Conservancy.
Moving large carnivores involves risk, and the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate had assistance from a veterinarian during the operation.
The Norwegian Environment Agency believes that now was the right time to move, as the grazing season is approaching and the probability of the wolf wandering into the wolf zone has decreased.
According to a press release from the Norwegian Environment Agency, the wolf was released in a large forest area in Våler to give it peace after the move. The exact release location is withheld from the public to protect the wolf.
2024-04-05 20:38:47
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