Scientists record longest wolf journey in Europe – 02/19/2024 – Science
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Researchers tracked the feces of a gray wolf born in Germany that crossed three countries to reach northeastern Spain, the longest documented journey for this species, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) announced this Monday (19).
Named GW1909m, the male traveled at least 1,240 km from his birthplace in Nordhorn, Lower Saxony, across France before apparently settling near a village in the Catalan Pyrenees, where he was last detected in February 2023.
The longest previously recorded distance involved a wolf that traveled 1,092 km between Norway and Finland.
The University said GW1909m was an “example of the behavioral plasticity and physical capability” of wolves, noting that it passed through landscapes filled with large human settlements.
Molecular genetic laboratories in Germany, France and Catalonia jointly analyzed the wolf’s feces — which contained a genetic trait found in Central European packs — to track its long journey.
In Spain, feces were found by specialized sniffer dogs that help foresters monitor wolf populations.
Scientists believe that long-distance dispersal events are key to connecting distant wolf populations, as they help avoid genetic isolation and inbreeding.
Rising wolf numbers across Europe have sparked conflict with local farming and hunting communities over measures to prevent attacks on livestock, prompting the European Commission to review their “strictly protected” status.
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