Only a Few Wolves Remain in Norway — Authorities Demand to Kill More

Against the backdrop of the situation with wolves in Russia, I’ve received several letters from readers comparing our country with Norway. They say that in this Scandinavian land by the ocean, among fjords and snowy mountains, wolves are protected and never killed — a country, they say, that we should all look up to. 

I was a bit surprised by the first letter. Then came the second, the third, and when about a dozen arrived, I decided to prepare this piece. If people believe that wolves are not being exterminated in Norway — or anywhere else in the world — then it’s time to explain, literally on our fingers, how things really work. 

You already know what’s happening in Russia. You know that in several regions wolves have already been wiped out in recent years. You’ve heard about Kamchatka, where the authorities announced last year that there were 179 polar wolves — and issued hunting permits for exactly 179. This year, they’ve completely lifted all limits, allowing as many wolves to be killed as hunters wish. After all, something must entertain the foreigners who fly to Kamchatka from around the world to shoot our wildlife, right? Russian safari, vodka, and sauna — yes? 

Well, the situation in Norway is no better. Let’s not build illusions! I’ll start with data from 2021, when a major scandal broke out between environmentalists and the Norwegian government — a scandal that later involved even neighboring Sweden. 

In February 2021, Norway reported having around 12 packs — about 100 wolves total. That’s critically low for such a vast mountainous ecosystem. And yet, the government issued permits to kill nine of them — nine out of one hundred — wolves who had dared to live in remote parts of the country. The task was to track them through forests and fjords north of Oslo — and shoot them. 

Hunters were allowed to kill wolves from helicopters, and their names were kept secret to avoid public backlash. Authorities claimed that the wolves had “left the designated wolf zone.” Initially, 20 wolves were slated for culling, but after pressure from environmentalists, the number was reduced to nine. Still, the government fiercely defended the “need” for further killing. 

The wolves were accused of killing 600 sheep. The same story happens here in Russia — it started back in Soviet times. Farmers routinely blame wolves for losses in herds, including animals that were stolen, died from illness, or were slaughtered by the farmers themselves. This way they receive government compensation and even profit from selling the meat. 

It’s simple: each season, you cull 10% of your herd, sell the meat, then blame it on wolves and collect money from the state. No one checks, no one cares. So wolves are turned into scapegoats. 

Back to Norway. The government issued licenses to kill wolves. Environmentalists raised an uproar and demanded an immediate stop. Even Sweden joined in, since the countries share the same transboundary wolf packs. 

Across Europe, wolf populations are on the verge of total extinction. The remaining packs are fragmented, their genetic and social structures severely disrupted. The numbers published by governments cannot be trusted. 

For instance, Norway officially claims around 100 wolves. But the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported that the real number is between 51 and 80 individuals. Scientists say at least 500 wolves are needed for a healthy, self-sustaining population — nothing less. 

Moreover, the wolves “counted” in Norway cross the border into Sweden and are also counted there. In other words, they’re the same wolves appearing in two national statistics. In Norway, hunting remains ruthless. In June 2020, the Norwegian Parliament even passed a blatantly pro-hunting amendment that further weakened wolf protection laws. 

To their credit, the WWF tried to defend the wolves. Real scientists — some of the best experts in the world — said bluntly: “What are you doing? Stop! Leave the wolves alone!” 

The WWF even sued the Norwegian government after 28 wolves were killed in 2017–2018. Although the environmentalists lost in district court, they won on appeal. The appellate court ruled that the wolf hunts were unjustified and motivated by political and private interests. 

Later, the animal rights organization NOAH also filed a lawsuit against the government for killing a wolf pair and their two-year-old offspring — a family that lived inside the so-called “wolf zone,” where wolves were supposedly allowed to exist. The irony is bitter: once they cross an invisible boundary, they are immediately shot. 

That’s the real situation in Norway. It’s important to understand the truth. To be fair, Norway has a strong civil movement for wolf protection — driven by ordinary citizens, not by officials, corporations, or wealthy elites. We don’t yet have this in Russia. But we will — when only a handful of wolves remain here too. 

Watching what’s happening in Norway and other parts of the world, we must not wait until wolves are completely gone. We need to begin large-scale, organized action for their protection now. Broad, united action — supported by the majority of society — or nothing will change. 

Today, fewer than 100 wolves remain in Norway. And even that number is uncertain — independent international organizations estimate only a few dozen of these vital “doctors of the wild.” 

© Pavel Pashkov