The Norwegian-Swedish Wolf is now extinct
For centuries, Norwegian-Swedish wolves have made their home in the vast forests of Scandinavia. Today, the only place you’ll see one of these wolves is at a zoo. In the rest of the wild, the Norwegian-Swedish wolf is extinct.
There are still wolves in Norway and Sweden, Phys.org but they are most likely packs that migrated from Finland and beyond after the Norwegian-Swedish wolves disappeared.
“The original Norwegian-Swedish wolves may not have shared genetics with wolves in Norway and Sweden,” said Hans Stenøien, Director of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology Museum (NTNU). nowadays.
Stenøien and his team of researchers studied the genetic makeup of the Norwegian-Swedish wolf. They have since completed the largest genetic study of wolves in the world, but were forced to find subjects in zoos outside of Norway because there were no species left in their native habitat. Furthermore, the wolves in Norway today are not closely related to the Norwegian-Swedish wolf breed, they are “true wolves” with few canine genes.
The Norwegian-Swedish wolf may have migrated to Norway during the warm period when the glacial receded, about 12,000 years ago. As humans began to reclaim land, build farms and cities, especially after the industrial era, hunting and habitat destruction accelerated the disappearance of the Norwegian-Swedish wolf.
In the 1980s, the wolf population on the Norwegian-Swedish border experienced a resurgence when Finnish wolves moved in to hunt on the grounds once occupied by Norwegian-Swedish wolves.
“The wolves in Norway and Sweden today most likely came from wolves migrating from Finland,” says Stenøien.
Studying the genetic differences between Norwegian-Swedish wolves and wolves in present-day Norway, Stenøien and his team made several discoveries. One is their marked difference from dogs.
Stenøien says: “The wolves in this country are some of the least populated in the whole world, possibly even having the fewest canine traits.
Another discovery is cause for concern. The team noted very little genetic variation in wolves currently roaming the Norwegian-Swedish border, as a result of inbreeding.
“This lack of variation makes wolves susceptible to various diseases and genetic conditions,” says Stenøien.
Since the only remaining Norwegian-Swedish wolves are kept in zoos, they can only hope to re-specie in their native habitat, but the risks of doing so are high. and the chances of success are very low. Without current breeding programs in zoos, it could be just a few years before the Norwegian-Swedish wolf goes down in history.