Sweden has approved one of its harshest wolf hunts in years — allowing up to 48 wolves to be shot between 2 January and 15 February 2026.
For a country with only around 350 wolves left, that number is staggering.
The government has quietly lowered its “desired” population from 300 down to 170 wolves — a target many biologists say is far too low to keep the population genetically healthy. The goal is clear: fewer wolves, whatever the cost.
The 2026 hunt will take place across nine territories in five counties, targeting entire family groups. Meanwhile, Värmland, once a stronghold for wolves, has been removed from the hunt not because it’s thriving — but because its wolf numbers have already plunged after years of pressure.
Officials blame “conflicts,” yet most livestock attacks remain preventable with proper protection, and illegal killings still go largely unpunished. Conservationists warn that Sweden is slowly carving away one of Europe’s smallest wolf populations — and calling it “management.”
And with the EU now considering downgrading wolves from “strictly protected” to simply “protected,” these culls could soon become even easier to justify.
Forty-eight wolves. Packs with names. Territories with histories. Family groups that raise pups, mourn losses, and shape entire ecosystems.
This isn’t just numbers on a quota sheet.
It’s lives.
And Sweden is running out of them.
Here’s a petition you can sign if you are a Swedish resident
Protect Sweden’s Endangered Wolves – Stop the cull
In a pub in Nomansland, Hants (in 2010 it was). I suspected a hybrid or jackal but I think this is an Old fox type but no date.
credit Richard Muirhead.
That was 2010 this is now. Looking at it I am more inclined toward it being a jackal. I tried every pub landlord in the town but no one knows anything about this. My suspicion is that either someone bought it privately or it was nabbed by an antique dealer.
Had no luck with antique dealers in the area so it's another lost.
Please note that I have removed all items identifying the taxidermist. This is because of past experience and knowing that there are some very "odd" people out there. The taxidermist was asked about the mask (a mounted fox head) and only knew that it was one of the much sought after Spicer mounts. There was no information re. date.
The taxidermist had no idea about the mask other than that it was in need of repair. The repair work was based on this being identified as a fox.
Have a look at this photograph of a "fox mask" sent for repair after it was cleaned and colour restored and ears rep-laced (ears are a problem with taxidermies)
(c)2025 respective copyright owner
Chunky but the right colouring...notice something off? Perhaps a photo of the mask that was submitted will help?
(c)2025 respective copyright owner
Yes, it looks like a coyote head and this is a Spicer taxidermy so late 1880s/1890s when jackals, coyotes and even wolves were released for hunting in the UK. So without location I asked for an opinion in each case: "Clearly it is a coyote but looks old".
I decided to try something else so I searched online using the image and it came up as a coyote taxidermy.
I wanted to try AI just to see what it would state. I uploaded the image and:
"The image displays a taxidermy coyote head mount being held by a person in what appears to be a workshop or storage area. The mount is an "as is" item, likely without a base."
Three sets of human eyes knowing what a coyote looks li9ke said "coyote". An image search identified it as "coyote" and feeding into AI -"coyote".
This may be a coyote.
I have seen several fox masks that have been "repaired" and cleans, re-dyed and so on but have traits that do not look like fox and when I was told ears were replaced for "a better pair" by heart sank. It is very likely that someone -a good few people- are looking at their 'fox mask' in their study or man shed and have no idea they have the evidence of the hunting of v coyotes and jackals for 'fun' in the UK. Some even have wolf heads that "show how big foxes are" because, quite honestly, they would not know the difference between a jackal, coyote, wolf or a fox.
The evidence is there in documents (books, journals and newspapers) of the time discussing the housing, attempted cross-breeding and releases of bagged jackals and coyotes at public events for a day of 'sport'.
This is just one example that we will never know the story of but I thank the taxidermists for the opportunity to see it "in the raw".
The Red Paper 2022 Volume I: Foxes, Jackals, Wolves, Coyotes and Wild Dogs of the United Kingdom and Ireland
When the Doggerland bridge flooded the British Isles became separated from
Continental Europe and its wildlife developed uniquely. The British Isles, for the purpose of this work includes Ireland, and isolated the wolves on both became what would be island species not affected by the usual island dwarfism. These wolves, after millennia. Became “unwanted” and forests and woodland was burnt down or cut down for the specific purpose of lupicide; the killing of every and any wolf –and there was a bounty for “a job well done”.
At the same time there also developed three unique island species of Old fox from the coyote-like Mountain or Greyhound fox, the slightly smaller but robustly built Mastiff or Bulldog fox and the smaller Common or Cur fox –the latter like today’s red foxes had a symbiotic relationship with humans.
These canids were mainly ignored until it was decided that they could provide fur and meat and those things earn money. From that point onward, especially after all other game had been killed off, the fox faced what writers over the centuries referred to as vulpicide –extermination through bounties paid, trapping or hunting and despite all the hunters noting that the Old foxes were nearing extinction they continued to hunt until by the late 1880s the Old were gone and replaced by the New –foxes imported by the thousands every year for the ‘sport’ of fox hunting and this importation also led the the UK seeing the appearance of mange (unknown before the importations).
The travelling British sportsmen went coyote, wolf and jackal hunting and on returning to England wanted to bring a taste of this to “the good old country”. Wolves, jackals and coyotes were set up in hunting territories from where they could learn the lay of the land and provide good sport later. Some hunts even attempted to cross-breed foxes, jackals and Coyotes.
Then there were the legendary –almost mythical– “beasts”; the black beast of Edale, the killer canids of Cavan and the “girt dog” of Ennerdale.
In more recent times raccoon dogs and arctic foxes have appeared in the UK; some released for ‘sport’ while others are exotic escapees long since established in the countryside.
If you thought you knew what fox hunting was about prepare to be woken up by a sharp slap to the face and the reality that, by admissions of hunts themselves, this was all about fun and sport and nothing to do with “pest control”.
This fox's life ended too soon. Why? Because of some ***** moron's firework.
Severe damage to the leg and so was put down. One more reason to despise humans. No apologies for the photos as we see these injuries but have to "sugar coat" them for the public.
Remember; 5th November a date when no one gives a damn about wildlife they terrify or kill so long as the morons get to hear a loud bang!
update As an update to the report on the three "wolves" caught in Preston: police have now said that the animals have gone to "a sanctuary" and that they were not returned to the owner -who is unknown.
This is a good example case of why monitoring exotics and escapes can be very convoluted in 2025. My thanks to WildSide Exotic Rescue.
From 1977-early 2000s local authorities and police forces were more willing to cooperate and respond. Today privacy (even when not needed) and the fear of any comment being used against them means cooperation is often restricted but let me make it clear from the outseyt that Lancashire Police have been open to communicating but there have been problems as I will note further on.
First we had coyote packs roaming the UK and now we have wolf packs. Not sure how knowledgeable the police dog handlers are when it comes to wild canids or their knowledge on counting...one...two... oh. One appears to have escaped again..
I am glad the police have such expertise in wolves. Here is the item from Yahoo News 30 10 2025:
Police have issued an update after reports of ‘wolf-type animals’ were spotted roaming the streets of Barton.
On Thursday (October 30), at around 4.15pm, police received reports of what were thought to be wolf-type animals roaming in the Station Lane area.
Three animals were seized and taken to specially trained dog handlers so they could assess what type of animal they are.
Preston Police can now confirm that the animals are not thought to be wolves. Police have handed care of them over to the council.
A police spokesperson said: “Yesterday (October 30), we let you know about some wolf-type dogs found in Barton.
“Despite the speculation, we can confirm this was a real post, and not a trick (or treat).
“The dogs have been seized and we can confirm they are not thought to be wolves. The members of the public who reported this did so in good faith, and we want to thank them for getting in touch.
“We know there’s been a lot of ‘howling’ about this online, so we thought we best to update you.”
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Checked the Preston Police page and left this message: "Terry Hooper
I've studied wild canids since 1976 and run the Exotic Animals Register and were I to come across these in the wild I would have thought wolf or wolf hybrid. A blood test would get a clear identification of species. And, yes, there is still a lot of exotic breeding and selling going on."
01 11 2025
"Hello.
"Regarding the three canids caught by police in Preston, Lancashire on 31st October, 2025.
"Identification has been by police dog handlers and with all due respect they are not expert at identifying wild canids. I have studied foxes, jackals, wolves and coyotes since 1976 and as soon as I saw the photographs I could see that there was a lot of wolf traits."
That written, I always -always- get as many opinions from people who specialise in an animal as possible as that doesn't just back up my identification but people dealing with wolves each day carry more weight with identifications.
A DNA test takes time -0I know this only too well from working with Sir Alec Jeffries at Leicestyer University in the late 1990s/early 2000s on sample testing to ID exotics/ To confirm a canid is a wolf or a wolf-dog hybrid can generally take some 2-4 weeks to process once the sample is received by the lab. Some specialized tests, such as those offered by the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory for wolf-dog hybrids, can have a turnaround time of at least 15 business days
Once "in the UK" is mentioned people start throwing up objections or offer the "You don't have wolves in the UK". However two have informally told me that there are "wild canid characteristics that would require DNA testing for a positive confirmation". Here are what experts who don't mind being named state (all are weary due to wolf-dog hybrids):
JAB Canid Education and Conservation
"They appear to at least have wild canid content. As far as I know wolf wolves do not exist in the U.K. A dna test could positively identify them"
The Voyageurs Wolf Project studies wolves in and around Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota.
"Hi Terry, Thanks for reaching out. They certainly have wolf-like characteristics but we are always wary of making any definitive statements about whether animals like this are truly wolves because wolf-dog hybridization is widespread and just because a canid looks like a wolf does not mean it is entirely a wolf. I.e., a high content wolf-dog hybrid can look very much like a wild wolf and not be a pure wolf. Hope that all makes sense. Best, Tom"
Wolf Watch UK
"Hi Terry, thanks for your email.
"Apparently, the police have established that these are not Wolves, and they are now in the care of the local council. I am guessing they might have DNA tested them.
"Unfortunately with the publics wish to own dogs that look like Wolves this is likely to be an ongoing problem which really does cause a lot of confusion and certainly cannot make your life easy.
"Best Wishes
Caroline
Wolf Watch UK "
Even being very conservative re identification the canids in the photos do possess wolf features. The best that could happen is that they are signed over to a trustworthy rescue and any DNA testing carried out thereafter.
Terry Hooper
British Fox and Wild Canids Study (1976)
Exotic Animals Register (1977)
The responses are quite sensible and point to the fact that you need to know the history of the animals in question. Escapes are also not unknown. If you have read The Red Paper Canids I discuss the lone wolf-dog that went missing in Scotland. There were reported sightings and then two clearly seen and identified wolf dogs -so where did the second come from? To add to that in another part of Scotland two other wolf dogs were sighted. There can be no connection which means that there are two pairs of wolf dogs surviving well since in five years since the main lost animal sightings indicate healthy animals.
Someone seeing a wolf dog could well be more hostile toward it thinking that it is a wolf.
On exotic animal groups there was a frenzy -people were constantly contacting the police ("repeatedly") which might explain police reticence -crime is the priority not "three lost dogs". The local authorities were also flooded with messages and on Face Book pages it was chaos. The "wolves have been offered a place at a wildlife sanctuary"/"They are going to euthanise the wolves over the weekend!" and even "A wolf dog rescue has told authorities they will take the animals" and so on and so forth.
Both myself and WildSide Exotic Rescue contacted the Preston Mayor as well as police and I contacted the Chief Constable. Today we both received the news that the animals situation was sorted.
From the Chief Constable of Lancashire Police Tuesday 4th November 2025
"Hi Terry
"Thank you for your email.
"I can confirm the dogs have been returned to their owner.
Thanks"
My hope is that a check was made and that this is a one off incident. A one off incident blown out of all proportion by social media wanting to sensationalise "wolves on the loose in the UK" (it was an area of Preston not the country!) and sharing and using video clips for their own sensationalist claims and, of course, social media "Likes". Naturally, the press/media was going to pick up on this as they were no doubt salivating at the prospect of a story involving "wild wolves" roaming "the UK"(Preston).
For now the "Three Little Wolves" are safe at home and I hope this was a one off adventure for them. They looked lost in the video clips but there was absolutely no threat from and those who claim otherwise need to learn more about animals.
WildSide Exotic Rescue have been excellent from the get-go.
