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WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG GOOD WOLF?

WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG GOOD WOLF?


Following its recent media coverage, the coexistence between wolves and human populations is once again highlighted in media platforms. This time around, it has received the attention of the national magazine Visão. Attending to the fact that wolves are still seen as feared carnivores, the wildlife photographer João Cosme with the scientific support of CIBIO-InBIO researchers, decided to track these mammals in the wild and photograph them aiming to publish a book and organize an exhibition about the key environmental, ecological and social aspects that surrounds this large carnivore.

 

João, wanted to share the beauty of this animal and show how a wolf pack lives and behaves. To make this happen, pictures are not enough: it is also important to record the rural and daily life of shepherds and livestock farmers.

 

Francisco Álvares, CIBIO-InBIO researcher, explains that the coexistence between wolves and humans is a modern concept, since in a recent past the livestock farmers’ main goal was the eradication of these predators. Meanwhile, thanks to proper legislation, and an ongoing change of mindset concerning the ecological role and intrinsic value of these animals, the main concerns surrounding wolves are increasingly focused on their conservation and achieving a coexistance with humans. Results from monitoring studies show that the Portuguese wolf population maintained its stability over the past ten years, preserving 300 individuals distributed in 63 packs.

 

Very soon, the Action Plan for Wolf Conservation in Portugal will be presented, which should involve all groups of interest and, Francisco hopes, will guide them all towards the same goals. This is also the purpose of João Cosme’s work. If we take a step at a time, the sustainable and long-term coexistence between the two species is sure to become a reality.

 

To know more about this issue, please read the link below:

 

Quem tem medo do lobo bom? | Visão | Jun 28, 2015 (in Portuguese only)

2015-07-03
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