Sweden to study Russian wolf DNA

Radio Sweden
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 15:38 — Last Updated: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 13:48
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Recent attacks on domestic animals in northern Sweden has led to politicians authorizing a protective hunt through August 20, 2015. (iStock) — Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency wants to study the DNA of wolves in Russia. They hope the information will help them plan how to diversify the genetic diversity of Sweden’s wolf packs. (iStock)

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is launching a program to analyse the DNA of wolves in Finland and Russia, in hopes of maintaining the genetic diversity of Sweden’s wolf population.

The number of wolves in Sweden, around 400, is so low that there is a definite danger of inbreeding. Earlier this week the Environmental Protection Agency released a report that said the country needs at least 300 wolves to maintain a healthy population.

But besides that, it said at least one wolf needs to enter the country from the east every wolf generation, or five years, to extend the genetic diversity, Maria Hörnell Willebrand, head of the wildlife assistance department at the agency, tells Radio Sweden.

Historic data on animals

The agency now wants to study the DNA of wolves in Russia, in order to determine how important any particular wolf might be to maintain the Swedish population. They plan to study wolf droppings and fur to extract the DNA.

“We need to look at the baseline, and look at the difference, both in the existing Russian population, and the historic data”, Maria Hörnell Willebrand says.

There are also plans to gather similar information about lynx, bears, and Wolverines.