PROVINCIA DE ÁVILA – The farmers’ union alliance UPA-COAG has denounced new wolf attacks on land near Puerto de Navalmoral de la Sierra in Ávila province. There are fears for the viability of dozens of livestock farms.
So far this year, more than 900 wolf attacks have been counted in the Castilla y León region. Last year there were around 1,500. Moreover, the last months of the year are feared. Deteriorating conditions for the wolves usually make their attacks more violent. The association indicates that “we dare to point out that in Castilla y León we continue to lead the ranking of wolf attacks in Spain”.
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High number of wolf attacks on farms
There has been an enormous increase in the wolf population in recent years south of the River Duero. But especially and in such an exceptional way in this province. Therefore, according to UPA-COAG this should lead to the political leaders of the Junta de Castilla y León and the central government to do more than just scratch their heads. Despite repeated warnings, people have looked the other way for years. And it is that far from good management that the species is multiplying at a staggering rate. The association called the situation “outrageous” in a province with “excessive numbers of wolves and attacks on extensive farms”.
Therefore, they invite those in charge of the regional government and the provincial administration to “reconsider” their warnings in the face of a problem that “impresses the economic viability of dozens of livestock farms”.
In July, the Constitutional Court (TC) overturned Castilla y León’s regional law permitting the hunting of wolves north of the Duero River. According to the court, hunting wolves violates the regulation that places the wolf on the list of wild species under the Special Protection Regime (Lesrpe) at the state level.
The Iberian Wolf
According to the last official count, conducted between 2012 and 2014, 297 wolf packs were counted in Spain. Most in Castilla y León followed by Asturias. Throughout Spain, there were an estimated 297 packs in that time frame.
