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The wolf was once "public enemy number one" in Spain. Hunted and sometimes tortured to death, it was almost extinct by the 1970s. But now numbers are rising again - and "wolf tourism" is proving an economic lifeline in some rural areas. The Sierra de la Culebra, a mountain range close to Portugal's northeastern border, is perhaps the best place in Europe to spot the animal thanks to it's moreland landscape which you can see across for miles.

Companies now offer "wolf weekends" which is an ideal opportunity for wolf enthusiasts, with talks and expeditions with telescopes. There's no denying the thrill of a sighting a wolf - even at a distance - and no one would want to miss out on the beautiful chorus of a wild wolf pack howling at night, so there's no surprise that the magnificence of these creatures are finally coming to light.

Three hours east of Rome is a genuine wilderness, where spotting the wolves is best attempted from a shed on stilts. The country in question is Majella National Park, in Abruzzo, and it is little known to British tourists but is only a three-hour drive east of Rome. A long weekend is easy enough, flying straight into Pescara or you can combine it with a few days in the Italian capital. 


The PineCube is little - it's a wooden box with big windows on stilts. It has mobile internet, LED lights, a phone signal and not much else apart from an aluminium ladder. William Santoleri built the PineCube for animal spotting. The Parco Nazionale della Majella is a prime slice of the Apennines, with 30 peaks rising above 6,500ft. It is a fantastic place to spot wolves and other wildlife, especially with a guide that knows the area like the back of his hand. 

Source: The Sunday Times

As the UK Wolf Conservation Trust is a not for profit organisation, money we raise is donated towards conservation projects worldwide that are helping to support and keep wolves in the wild. These donations can be vital to some projects, so we donate as much as we are able to try and help conserver wolves throughout Europe and the rest of the wild.

Below are the donation amounts to the organisations that the Wolf Trust has designated as this spring's organisations to help:

- Croatia, Zagreb Veterianary Institute- Josip Kusak
- Ethiopian Wolf Project- Claudio Silerio / Born Free Foundation
- Portugal- Project Grupo Lobo

The Wolf Trust has just been voted the top attraction in Berkshire! 

Thank you for everyone who has left us a lovely review and we are glad that you have all enjoyed our events!

Source: Trip Advisor

An online petition has been set up by a biologist in Montana with the aim of halting the hunting and trapping of wolves in that state. The author of the petition, Jay Mallonee, has produced a study to back up his claims that there was a lack of scientific evidence when the decision to allow hunting was made.

The petition is available here and the study, from the peer-reviewed Nature and Science, is available here.

Our wolves have been having some Easter fun and games! We've put some photos of them enjoying themeslves on our updates page.

The Times carries a report of the ongoing battle between farmers and environmentalists in France, with the Government weighing in by suggesting an increase in the annual cull of wolves is needed. As with the Swedish cull, the French system of killing a certain number of wolves each year is highly controversial; a set number are killed each year whether or not they've been involved in livestock predation.

The farmers are hardening their line, claiming an exponential rise in the number of sheep killed each year. They also refute that wolf-deterrent systems (such as electrified fencing) are of any benefit, despite advocacy groups and the Government providing funding for them. There are also plans being considered to capture problem wolves and release them miles away from their home territory, in the hope that they'll be deterred from livestock predation.

The only certainty so far, however, is that as the wolf population increases so too will the kill quota set each year.

The Swedish wolf cull has been halted pending the result of a legal challenge filed by environmental groups. The cull, following on from one deemed illegal under EU law last year, has been the source of much controversy.

Source: http://news.uk.msn.com/world/sweden-court-suspends-wolf-cull