“An in-depth campaign was undertaken to promote understanding of the ecological role of the wolf and interviews were carried out with 117 people from local communities to assess their views on the wolf. The results of these interviews showed that many people south of the Douro are willing to live with Iberian wolves, as long as quick compensation is paid and damage prevention measures are implemented”, reads a statement.

Over the past six years, the LIFE WolFlux project, in collaboration with local partners and with support from the European Commission, has provided a solid foundation to ensure a better future for the Iberian wolf.

“The Iberian wolf population south of the Douro is one of the most threatened in Europe”, explains the conservation director of Rewilding Portugal, Sara Aliácar, quoted in the statement.

For Sara Aliácar, improving connectivity with other populations in Portugal and Spain “is vital” for the long-term survival of the species.

“It is essential that wolves that arrive and live in the area find conditions that encourage them to settle, form packs and reproduce”, she maintains.

Rewilding Portugal indicates that genetic, distribution and dietary data was collected from all relevant packs.

“This allowed the team to identify critical points in terms of coexistence and map areas with significant potential for wolf recolonization,” she points out, noting that “the foundations were also laid to support the development of wolf-centered nature tourism in the region, with business plans prepared and implemented by several local companies”.

Actions to improve connectivity between Iberian wolf packs south of the Douro, which still remain in operation, have focused on promoting coexistence between humans and wolves and improving the overall ecological health of the landscape.

The LIFE WolFlux project – which was led by Rewilding Portugal, in partnership with Rewilding Europe, the University of Aveiro, Zoo Logical and ATNatureza/Faia Brava – also concluded that “the lack of natural prey means that wolf predation on livestock is one of the main challenges of coexistence”.

“To address this issue, the Rewilding Portugal team and local partners provided 108 cattle dogs and 52 wolf-proof fences to local livestock owners and also took steps to support the natural return of roe deer – a key wild prey species for Iberian wolves”, he observes.

Rewilding Portugal clarifies that measures such as the creation of permanent pastures that facilitate the natural regeneration of the forest and the construction of lagoons have allowed an increase in roe deer populations in places such as Vale Carapito, Paúl de Toirões and Ermo das Águias.

“LIFE WolFlux has reached important milestones, increasing the use of harm prevention measures, adding value to products sourced from farmers who coexist with wolves, and supporting the return of wild prey,” says Sara Aliácar.

And she adds: “To continue the progress made and significantly improve the fragile situation of the Iberian wolf south of the Douro, more efforts and greater collaboration are needed. We will continue to fight for this.”

According to Rewilding Portugal, there are currently around 300 Iberian wolves in mainland Portugal, the majority of which are north of the Douro River, in a “relatively stable subpopulation”. The remainder, around 14%, live south of the river, in a more precarious situation, distributed among a handful of scattered and disconnected packs.