p. 74

Estimates of wolf damage to livestock were derived from statistics from regions where compensation is paid, and elsewhere on interviews with shepherds and livestock owners.

We estimate that in Spain there were some 294 breeding pairs in 1998 and thus some 1,500 wolves in early spring and 2,000 in Autumn.

The average density of wolves within their Spanish distribution area is 1.5 and 2.0 individuals/100 km2, before birth and in autumn, respectively.

pp 76-77

since 1984 poisoned baits, possibly the main cause of wolf mortality in the past, have been strictly forbidden. Secondly, rural depopulation, regeneration of natural vegetation, and a great increase in wild boar and roe deer have been recorded for inland regions in the north of Spain. These factors appear to have allowed wolf numbers to grow without a proportionate increase in damage to livestock.

p. 77

we conclude that at least 51.2% of wolves killed by humans were killed illegally, but the true percentage may have been higher.

Wolves prey mainly on sheep and goats (79.5%) and to a lesser extent horses (17.6%) and cows (6.5%). We estimate annual damage caused by wolves at nearly 1 million US$ (Table 1). From these figures, and taking the autumn population size, an average wolf in Spain inflicts damage of 500 US$ a year, i.e. approximately six sheep or one calf.

Where most of the livestock was free-ranging, in mountain areas, notably in the Cantabrian Mountains, we found greater damage. These areas suffer 77.0% of the losses of the whole country but support only 20.6% of Spain’s wolves.

The main cause of the disproportionately high losses in mountains seems to be the unprotected state of livestock.

p. 78

An approximate estimate has been made of predation of red deer in Sierra Morena, where an area of 4,400 km2 is occupied by about 56 wolves, with minimum densities of 1,000-2,000 red deer/100 km2. Assuming that an average wolf consumes 6% of its body weight/day (Fuller 1989) and that average wolf and deer weights are 20 and 80 kg, even if wolves only fed on deer, the wolf population would every year consume 0.7-0.3% of the total deer biomass. These figures indicate the extent to which wolf persecution in order to protect big game in this region is unjustified.

p. 79

Damage to livestock is the main cause of wolf unpopularity among rural people. Compensation of 262,500 US$ was paid for damage by the different region’s environmental agencies between March 1986 and February 1987, that is, a quarter of the total annual estimated damage. In the regions of Galicia and Castilla-Leon, where almost 90% of Spanish wolves are found, compensation was paid for 1% and 14% of the damage to livestock, respectively.