Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Words of Wisdom

Raven Calls - Come Journey!

I run with Wolves, swim with Whales and fly with Eagles.

We see the ONE EARTH NO BORDERS NO BOUNDARIES NO FEAR - ONLY LOVE .

The Wolves howl, The Whales sing and the Eagle soars even Higher.

Higher Friends, Higher still.

Rise beyond Fear ~ Allow Love to rule.

I bow my head in prayer for All who have been Silenced.

I wil sing and sing for You always!

By: "Journeys of the Wolf"

Share on Facebook

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Happy Whaooolentine!

... and understood and accepted

That is the Wolf Howl Blog´s Valentine´s wish for all the wolves around the world!

Share on Facebook

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Wolves

Share this beautiful video with all your friends. The Wolf - the beautiful, majestic and wise creature needs our help to survive.

Please help to prevent wolves from extiction. Take actions - join causes, environmental organisations, wolf support groups, donate, adopt wolves, sign petitions, send letters to your local authorities and governments.

The wolves are critically endangered globally. They need all our help!


Share on Facebook

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Assassinations in Lapland (Scandinavia)

This is a story of what they do to wolves and other predators in Lapland - the land of the reindeer herds.

They kill any animals, that get within reach of their reindeer herds, whom they have as means of business, and transport thousands of them each year to slaughter houses, often in unadequately small trailer with not enough space for the animals to rest, while travelling hundreds of kilometers to the slaughter houses.

"Reindeer owners seldom tell you how many reindeer he has. If you ask, they'll probably ask you to tell him of the size of your own bank account. " - information on one Lapland travel info guide.

When I first came into close contact with their reindeer-culture, I was shocked. I visited the Swedish museum in Ostersund, called Jamtli. There they have on display a lot from the Saami culture. Including a TV documentary about the "herding" of reindeer. I sat down to watch and was shocked to see a ritual in which they chase the reindeers in a corral, lasoo a selected one and cut it´s throat, leaving it to die slowly in stress, bleeding to death. This was among it´s herd memebers, and dozens of people watched the show. It wasn´t in the 1800s, it was NOW. There were snowmobiles standing by.
A middle age brutal and heartless slaughter, which one is used to knowing from the movies, or from the barbaristic practices of some primitive tribes or sects.

Few years later, I found out there was a "wild" slaughter house in the area, to which we moved. I heared a lot of terrible stories from the locals, including the veterinarians, who work there as meat hygiene and disease inspection. The different Saami people who bring in their herds to be slaughtered, fight with each other with knifes, threattening each other and the staff. I heared whole "mafias" fight who will get better price for their meat and whose bigger herds will be accepted at the slaughterhouses.

So much for the romantic image of the natural life in harmony...

I´ve been also told to be careful about my dogs. If they ever get lose or run away, and happen to get near a reindeer herd, they are very likely to get shot by the Saami herders/owners, without even letting you know or asking you to go get them back.

They simply have a power which they sure know how to use. No one, including the Swedish government, dares to get in conflict with them.

I thought it was a bit exaggerated then. But since then, I read enough news in the pappers, about dogs killed, because they got too close to the herds, which roam freely the woods all over the country, and who even have the right to roam over your own forrest. These herds are of course domesticated livestock, not wild caribou.

I also read stories about the Saami killing wolverine, although this nordic predator is extremly protected and absolutley forbidden to hunt, as it is severly threattened with extinction.

But for the Saami reindeer herders, there is no respect for the nature and wildlife. It is all about their reindeer business. They think they can take the law in their hands, and apparently there hasn´t been anyone in the Scandinavian countries, to stand up to them and take the same measures for them as for other residents.

If a wolf or a wolverine is killed illegally, you end up in jail. If a Saami kills a wolf or wolverine, it´s a protective measure.

If the government does not start facing this problem, the wildlife and especially the threattened species will dissapear in Scandinavia faster, than anyone can imagine.

All, and all, I´ve known about this "tabu" problem for a while. But the article I came across today upset me extremly. It shows and proves how so many wild predators are treated - with no respect and by hate and unacceptance driven motives. They are executed by barbarian, unethical means.

The article writes about a wolverine female, disturbed from her den, where she had pupps. Chased for miles by three men on snowmobiles, then ran over several times, as they enjoyed the show of her dieing slowly in pain, as her spine and ribs were broken, before they finally killed her.

The other story tells about a wolf pair brutally and cruelly killed in 2003, wrapped in ropes and plastic, and put in the Holy River in Finnish Lapland. It is a primitve old act to show "despise" and bring shame on the murdered ones.

This is what they do to wolves in Scandinavian Lapland. Photo from the article "Assassinations in Lapland"

All this done by Saami people of the Finnish Lapland. Here is a link to the original article, called "The Assassinations in Lapland": http://blogit.yleradio1.yle.fi/kirsivirtanen/salamurhia_lapissa.

Please, help to stop this unaceptable behaviour and nonsence executions of wild predators in Europe´s last remaining wilderness areas in the Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Write letters to the government, sign petitions, join environmental groups and organisations. You can also help by donating to support the conservational efforts of various organisations. Even spreading the word and sharing the information with your friends helps a great deal.


Share on Facebook

Swedish minister wants to import new wolves - After he killed many

Now the information about plans of importing new wolves to Sweden starts to spread through the media.

Despite the minister´s of environment spreading of lies abroad the country, the Swedish wolves do not suffer as much genetically, as he stresses out. All wolves from the January cull have been examined in the University of Uppsala and found to be perfectly healthy, without genetic anomalities, and to be good specimen.
Genetically healthy wolves were killed.
The 2010 cull was no more than a slaughter initiated by a huge hunting lobby, paid by big money. There are many articles, press releases and proofs for that.

Genetically important wolves were killed not only during the culling slaughter, but also in so called "protective" hunt, when they were apparently spotted close to reindeer herds, etc., and also fallen victim to the so called "poaching" hunt, performed commonly in Sweden and Norway by hunters-wolf haters, who poison them, run them over by snowmachines, shoot them, drown them, etc. and make them "dissapear", especially if they were radio collared. (Please come back soon to read an article about the illegal wolf killing in Sweden and Norway, which is now in process).

There were some wolves with fresh (outcross) genes, from Russian and Finnish ancestry, but they were killed as well. There was no targeting of "only weak or sick individuals" to be killed. Alpha wolves were killed, including parents, orphaning a litter of puppies. A cull hunt of 27 wolves is not performed by 12000 horny rednecks, who don´t even know how to shoot a wolf, which was proven on dozens of photos from the hunt - many wolves were shot several times, before finally killed. Many wolves were injured and escaped, and had to be searched after for several days, left dieing in pain and agony. That is not a professional culling hunt.

New wolves, that will be imported, will end up the same way. And those not killed by aproval from authorities will be poisoned or killed otherwise illegally by hunters - wolf haters.

The reason why so many wolves from Russia and Finland never made it to the Swedish strain, and thus why the Swedish wolf population never got a chance to grow "fresher" genetically, is because they never made their journeys through Lapland and Jamtland (the only transition areas to travel through from Finland or Russia to Sweden and Norway) - being illegally killed by the reindeer herders or trophy illegal hunters.

This is a closed circle and will not get solved unless the Swedish government finally starts facing truth and sovling the large issues of intollerance and unacceptance of wolves, among minority, special interest groups of people.

Effective programs need to be applied to keep wolves out of harm´s way, if we want to see a healthy wolf strain striving and growing in Sweden, Norway, but also Finland.


After he had ordered over 30 wolves to be killed in 2010 (27 in the "cull" hunt, and 12 more in so called "protective" hunt), the Swedish minister of environment plans to have as many as 60 more wolves killed by a cull hunt in 2011, including whole litters born during this comming spring.
This is totally senceless and absolutly unaceptable! We cannot allow that to happen and to let this unethical man continue with this bloody work!
Please consider following this blog, for more updates on the wolf situation worldwide, but with a major foccus on Sweden and Scandinavia, if you wanna learn more about what is really going on in Sweden.

Also, please read how you can help on the menu on the right side of the blog, where you will find links to many petitions and ideas how to take action.

Please write to the Swedish minister of environment and let him know what you think, and that you care about the wolves, the nature and the environment, and show your dissapointment and dissagreement with the recent, very bad deicsion:

Andreas Carlgren, Minister for the Environment
Tel. work: +46 8405 10 00
Email - via the senior registry clerk
Post address: Tegelbacken 2
103 33 Stockholm
SWEDEN

Share on Facebook

Entire Captive 12 Wolf Pack killed in Skane ZOO -- for NO reason

Yesterday, while waiting for my delayed plane home, I listed through the freshest newspapers, in a search for the latest news on the wolf hunt issue in Sweden.

While I found none such information in Expressen, I came across an interesting short report from Guwahati, India. It concerned two tigers, that escaped their enclosure in the local ZOO.

"Panic spread immediatley", said the paper. Ten thousand visitors were in danger.

The Reuters agency (the news source) informed about a fast, professional act from the ZOO management and the tiger caretakers, whom took action without a single hesitation.

They tranquilized both predators and put them safely into a secure area. Done, simple.

Now, how does this story relate to the wolves in Sweden?

I am still in shock from the horrifying news outbroke exactly one week after the January 2-4th slaughter of 28 wolves during the legalized hunt. The news struck the whole country. The entire pack of 12 captive wolves, including puppies, was killed in Skane ZOO, after several wolves attempeted to escape.

The press, and later the park management, informed, that two adult wolves managed to break the fence of their enclosure and escaped. They were still on the ground of the animal park, when they were shot to death. The park management made a quick decision to kill the rest of the pack, including the puppies from the summer litter.

This news is as shocking as disturbing. The park management released an official statement, that it was the best decission they could do under the circumstances, as they had responsibility toward the park´s visitors! Part of the park was evacuated, before the wolves were killed.


The ZOO´s spokesman said to the press, that the wolves had to be killed as this was an extreme dangerous situation. On the other hand, he added that all visitors were evacuated and people were at minimal risk. These absolutley controversial statements prove the total incompetence of the park staff.

How rediculous is that??!!

I still don´t understand. I still can´t and never will understand the brutality, and the gutts to do such thing. What in the world is wrong in Sweden?! Every ZOO and wild animal park has tranquilizing guns and their employees must know how to use it. There have been escapes from many ZOOs all over the world, and by much bigger, more agressive and dangerous predators, than wolves are. And not just predators. So Why did the Skane park not use them??!!

Growing up in the neighbourhood of the Prague ZOO, and having a family member who actually worked there, I have many memories of such "adventures".

In one of them, I remember the escape of a fairly agressive monkey, who roamed through the streets of the rural city areas for couple of weeks, before she was found, tranquilized and transported back to safety, out of harm´s way.

It still strikes me on sleepless nights - what could possibly lead the park management to such heartless decission?!

Unfortunattley, I am afraid we´ll never find out. After all, it seems rather "ok" to many, and I was unpleasantly surprised that there was not a single investigation made. I very much doubt there ever will be. As usual, with an uncomfortable subject, this was all just swept under the table.

It is a logic built backwords. In Sweden, dare you to have your dogs in a kennel smaller than the department of agriculture rules tell, even by a few centimeteres. You face an inspection, your kennel might never be "aproved" and you might end up paying a financial fine.

But you can wipe out the entire, healthy wolf pack, kept in captivity, as you please. Apparently, without facing any problems with the law. To me, this is a double moral and also perhaps a proof, that this country needs much more refreshing in it´s laws, rules and regulations. They are confusing and absurd.

After all, this is just another example of how rules seldom comply with ethics.

While this terribly sad case never really became a "case" and is slowly dissapering in the history of "events", Skane ZOO is already planning to get new wolves.

While I searched on internet for information for this article, I came across older news, this time from Lycksele Animal Park, in the North part of Sweden. Few years ago, they also had an escape, in this case of three wolves. Two were killed, and one tranqilized and "left to live". That confuses me even more. There is an option to use the tranquilization gun, but yet the choice is seldom made.

A TV crew made an interview in Lycksele, shortly after the pack was killed in Skane. One of the Lycksele park´s managers told them: "we would act the same, if what happened in Skane, would happen here. We would shoot the wolves, if they escaped".

To read the complete article and also to watch the interview on the news, go to:
http://svt.se/2.33919/1.1842175/vargarna_skjuts_om_de_rymmer

While it is an obvious covering of back of each other, among the ZOO managements, I can´t help wondering what kind of people run these parks and why?!

So while in India, they CAN made a sensible, thoughtfull and human decision to keep the two tigers out of harm´s way, in the civilized country, told to be among the most developed, such as Sweden, they kill wolves who are not even any danger to anyone.

From my reasearch on the web, I came back with one very sad conclusion. It seems to be a common behaviour among Swedish ZOOs and Animal Parks.

And I will not visit anyone of those, treating their captive animals like that. If you wanna change the way things are, do not support them. Please spread the word. People have the right to know.

These three beautiful captive youngsters, will never be seen in Skane ZOO again. They lost their lives because of human incopetence, heartlessness, and lack of sense and sensibility.

The Captive 12 Wolf Pack of Skane ZOO, killed for NO REASON will never be forgotten. They will always be remembered together with their 28+ wild brothers and sisters, slaughtered just a few days before.
-----------------------

Media on the subject of the Killing of Skane Captive 12 Wolf Pack:

THE LOCAL - "Wolves Liquidated after Swedish ZOO escape"
http://www.thelocal.se/24302/20100110/ (in English)

AFTONBLADET - http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article6403568.ab (in Swedish)

SVT (Swedish National TV) - http://svt.se/2.33919/1.1842175/vargarna_skjuts_om_de_rymmer

-----------------------

If you would like things to improve for the animals, the nature and our environment, the only way is to step out of the silent crowd and do something. Let your voices and opinions be heared. Write letters to decision makers, sign petitions, spread the word. Do not remain passive, please.

Share on Facebook

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Center (for Biological Diversity) Goes to Court for Mexican Gray Wolf

Quoting the article from the Center for Biological Diversity news letter:
"Last week the Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its failure to act on our petition to grant the Mexican gray wolf its own place on the endangered species list. The Mexican wolf is distinct from other gray wolves and should be recognized as such with its own Endangered Species Act protections as an endangered subspecies or "distinct population segment." But the Mexican wolf is currently lumped together under the Act with gray wolves elsewhere in the country. And the Service has missed its November deadline to respond to the Center's petition from last summer to fix that.

Earning its own place on the endangered species list would require the development of a new Mexican wolf recovery plan -- which is crucial, since the current one is almost three decades old and contains no numeric population, distribution, or genetic diversity targets. It would also give better guidance for managing the sole existing wolf population -- which hovered at just 52 animals and two breeding pairs at the end of 2008."

KSWT News, January 27, 2010

Please read more here:
Feds sued again over Mexican gray wolf petitionBy The Associated Press

Find out more about the Mexican Gray Wolf from the Center for Biological Diversity:
(many interesting links to facts, petitions, statistics, and more regarding the Mexican Gray Wolf)

Also please read this article:

Learn about the Mexican Gray Wolf:
http://www.mexicanwolfeis.org/ (excellent educational source)

How You can Help - Take Action:
The Mexican Gray Wolves need a strong fight, based on law, paperwork and other acts. All this requires a fair amount of finances. One of the very cool ways to help is to

Share on Facebook

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Politika kontra Etika - Švédský Skandál (Politics contra Ethics - the Swedish Scandal)

In my efforts to spread the word on what is happening to wolves around the globe (and mainly in Scandinavia), I wrote this following article, for several Czech newspapers, blogs and magazines.

This post is in Czech language. As time allows, I will translate it to English as well. It is my article on the licenced wolf hunt and the total scandal in Sweden.


Po 45 letech se Švédská vláda rozhodla vydat "licenci na zabití" a povolit lov vlků, kteří byli dosud chráněni. Švédsko sdílí svou vlčí populaci spolu se sousedním Norskem a před začátkem lovu čítala tato zhruba mezi 250-280 jedinci. Podle expertů je minimálním číslem pro zachování diversity a genetického zdraví populace, mezi 500-1000 kusy. Přesto, že jsou tedy vlci ve Švédsku silně "pod stavy" a vážně jim hrozí vyhubení, vydala vláda přes 12000 loveckých licencí a stanovila kvótu odstřelu 27 vlků (což je celých 10% celkové populace!).

Tento nesmylsný akt vyvolal obrovskou vlnu kritiky a rozhořčení ze stran obyvatelstva, všech hnutí a organizací pro ochranu přírody, ale i všech médií.
Vlna diskuzí neopadla, jak by se čekalo, ale naopak zesílila a na povrch začaly vyplouvat skutečnosti, které si jistě Švédská vláda za klobouk nedá.

Lov byl povolen od 2.1.2010 a měl být ukončen v únoru. To však nebylo třeba, neboť lovci předvedli dvoudenní brutální jatka a již 4.ledna byla kvóta "úspěšně" splněna, ba i překročena. Několik vlků bylo zraněno a následně ponecháno osudu, někteří byli dohledání až o několik dní později.
Bylo zavražděno něklik geneticky důležitých jedinů, a něklik alfa párů, jejižch osiřelá mláďata nyní bojují o přežití v letošní kruté zimě.

Ministr životního prostředí Andreas Carlgren neúspěšně omílá jako mantru, stále stejnou větu: "vlci ve Švédsku jsou zdegenerovaní, trpí genetickými poruchami v důsledku těžké příbuzenské plemenitby. Účeleme tohoto lovu je "vyčištění" od geneticky slabých jedinců".
Tato nesmyslá formule je však naprosto nepochopitelná pro experty na biologickou diverstiu a vlky, a i selský rozum nad tím zůstává stát. Pokud je totiž vlčí populace zdegenerovaná, znamená to jediné - populace je příliš malá a potřebuje rozšíření o nové jedine a tudíž geny.
Prvním skandálem se stala oficiální zpráva z Uppsalské university, kam byla těla zabitých vlků zaslána pro podbrobnou pitvu a testy. Zpráva zněla: "výsledek pitvy všech zaslaných 27 vlků prokázal, že všichni jedinci byli zdraví a byli dobrými specimeny (vzory svého druhu). Nevykazovali žádné známky genetických anomálií".

Tyto informace vyvolaly další vlnu kritiky a odporu a tak se na povrch začaly trousit další skandální zprávy.

Lov byl financován z fondu na zachování biologické diverzity, částkou kolem 4 milionů švédských korun. Toto je výsměch ekologii i daňovým poplatníkům.

Že šlo o lobby silné Švédské lovecké asociace, není nic překvapivého.
Asociace například zaplatitla vloni Švédské vládě 21,6 milionů švédských korun (přes 50milionů Kč) na výzkum přírody. Z většiny těchto peněz jsou financovány různé projekty a přírodní výzkumy. Proto není divu, že lovci chtějí za své poplatky něco zpět - licenci k zabíjení. Toto a mnoho dalších skutečností svědčí o tom, že se jedná o zaplacený lov za účelem získání trofejí, a tzv. nenávistí motivovaný lov.

Celý skandál ještě rozvětřil švédský denínk DN, který zveřejnil reportáž o loveckém vládním klubu, který má střelnici ve sklepních prostorách Švédského parlamentu v centru Stockholmu. Dle reportáže a interview s vedoucím klubu si sem vládní představitelé chodí v pracovní době zastřílet.

Švédská vláda a její skandální rozhodnutí bylo nahlášeno v důsledku porušení některých nařízení EU pro lov ohrožených druhů organizacemi SRF (Švédská asociace šelem), SNSF (Švédská asociace ochrany přírody) a zástupci švédské pobočky WWF komisi Evropské Unie. Nyní se čeká na její rozhodnutí.

Toto není samozřejmě první akt špinavé politiky proti životnímu prostředí. Svědčí to i o tom, že nejen v České Republice máme vládní a politické skandály a korupci.

Životní prostředí a naše planeta jsou na tom v tomto směru nejhůř. Nicméně je třeba nepřestat bojovat. Jen díky aktivismu obyčejných lidí a organizací, které zasvětily svou náplň boji s lobby proti přírodě, se můžeme radovat z občasných zpráv o úspěších jako zákaz lovu některých ohrožených druhů, vytvoření nových přírodních rezervací, apod.


Share on Facebook

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Wolf Communication

Step aside from the buzz of your day. Listen to the cries, howls and growls of the wolves. If you listen carefully enough, you´ll learn to recognaise the lone howls, and the mutual howls of the pack, the puppy sounds, and more.

Wolf communication is one of the most fascinating matters. I´ve selected a few excellent sources of information on wolf communication, and audio records of their fascinating sounds.

About Wolf Howling:
"Wolves howl for more reasons than we will ever know: to bring the pack together, to respond to far-off sounds, or to see who’s out there. Howling increases during the breeding season, which usually starts in February. Usually the alpha wolf initiates the howl. It begins with a long, mournful sound from deep within him. Everything else in the forest seems to fall silent. As if on cue, other members of the pack join in, and the chorus swells to a soulful frenzy."
- excerpt from the website Living with Wolves

Make sure to not miss the
Wolf Howling and Growling Sound Clips:

Also, take a look at beautiful howling wolf pictures, and read some educational information about the wolf communication here.

Share on Facebook

Monday, January 25, 2010

Live from Kolmarden Animal Park - Meet and Watch the Wolves

Meet and watch the wolves of Kolmarden Animal Park, and learn how beautiful, intelligent, social and gentle these animals are.

Park´s director, zoologist Mats Hoggren explains their social habbits, clarifies some myths, talks about their nature. He also pointed out that wolves are an endangered species, threatened by extinction.


Share on Facebook

Demonstration for the wolves and against wolf hunting in Göteborg

--- UPDATED INFORMATION ---
Third demonstration in the rally that started in Sweden, is on it´s way, this time in the city of Göteborg (Gothenburg).

This shows the huge, massive wave of people supporting wolves, wanting wolves in our nature, and being very angry and unaproving of the government´s decision, justified by cover-ups (read more in the past entries and please come back for more news on that).
POSTPONDED!!! - we will bring current information as soon as possible! Thanks for understanding.
Date: ???
Time: ???
Location: Gustav Adolfs Torg in Göteborg

Here is the organisers´message and invitation:

"Now it is Gothenburg's turn to start banging the table and show the government, various organizations, hunters and others who oppose the wolf, that many of us are standing up for the wolf, and our nature! Saturday, 6 / 2 at 12.00 there will be a manifestation of the wolf against wolf hunting at Gustav Adolf Square in Gothenburg. Come and join! Bring everyone you know! Together we can work wonders!"

More information:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=216750707015&ref=mf#/event.php?eid=290970936196&ref=mf

The demonstration in Göteborg will be following the one in Örebro, which takes place on February 4th (more information here) and the pilot one, which took place in Stockholm, on January 17th, 2010 (please read this entry).

Please help prevent more senseless slaughtering of wolves - come and join the demonstrations!

Share on Facebook

Remembering...

Three weeks have passed since what became known in Sweden as "Vargdagen" - "Wolfday". The day was January 2, 2010 and it released 12000 bloodthirsty wolf hating and trophy wanting hunters into the Swedish wilderness, where they slaughtered over 27 wolves and left many more injured, many puppies starving without their parents and many packs decimated, without their leaders.


We will never forget!

... human hatred against the breed of wolves is a product of fear of its pride, wisdom, perseverance and indomitability


More than 50 wolves are to be killed in Sweden next year, and dozens in Norway soon too.

Their fate can be changed. It is in our hands. Please help - tell the government that this is unacceptable.

Send letters to the ministry of Environment, ministry of agriculture and to the prime minister. Sign petitions listed in the menu on the right. Join organisations such as Bevara och Skydda Vargegn. Spread the word.

Thank you.


Share on Facebook

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Story of Limpy (and his many brothers and sisters worldwide)

Please, read the story from the link below. It will help you to understand the global struggle of wolves - being the target of human absurde hate and trophy hunting interests.

Limpy was a wolf, that never killed any lifestock or hunting dogs, or had a conflict with human interests. He was simply killed (together with many more wolves) because he could be killed, the very first day the hunting ban was lifted in the state of Wyoming. Just like here in Sweden, where 25 wolves (out of a quota of 27 to be culled during 2010) were slaughtered during the very first day of the first legal hunting in 45 years -- not because they did something wrong, but just because the hate and trophy vision driven 12000 licenced hunters simply could.

The story of life and death of Wolf 253, affecionately called "Limpy":
http://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/limpys-story-the-life-and-death-of-wolf-253/#comment-829

How many more thousands of wolves will have to be killed around the world, how many more sad and tragic stories will be written, how many more thousands of pictures of killed or dieing wolves, and videos of the killings, will we watch and read, before we finally do something?!

The planet is not exclusively ours to use and planish as we please. And I believe there are millions of people all around the world who dissagree with what our decisionmakers do. But we need to unite, we need to stand up and speak - and say it out loud.

Please, take actions, read more facts about wolves (and other endangered species as well), ask questions, sign petitions, join various organisations and groups (many links are on the menu on the right side of the blog, and in previous posts), share information and discuss with others. All this counts. Just don´t remain silent and passive.


Share on Facebook

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Aerial Wolf Killing in Alaska

Alaskan wolves receive no Endangered Species Act protections, and the species has long been vilified. In the 1940s and 1950s, widespread wolf killings occurred via poisonings, bounties, and aerial shooting by federal agents. After Alaska became a state in 1959, poisoning was prohibited by legislative action and bounties were soon stopped.

Aerial shooting of wolves became common in the 1960s. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game ceased issuing aerial permits in 1972 after passage of the federal Airborne Hunting Act. The Act prohibits the shooting of wolves directly from airplanes but left legalize the practice known as "land and shoot" -- where a hunter can land a plane and shoot the animal from the ground.

Land and shoot wolf hunting remains a controversial practice and it is even opposed by many hunters. It considered unsportsmanlike, unethical, and impossible to regulate. It also leads to many other violations of hunting regulations such as chasing, herding, and harassing wolves.

Alaskan wolf shot by aerial gunner

In 1996 and again in 2000, Alaskan voters banned the practice but both times the Alaskan legislature overturned these citizen-passed laws. In 2003, the Board of Game approved several aerial wolf control programs and since then has adopted several more. Approximately 800 wolves have been killed by teams of private hunters and gunners from fixed-wing airplanes.

They rarely die fast, and are often left to suffer in agony.

So far, more than 1,000 wolves have been chased down by gunmen in low-flying aircraft and killed with high-powered rifles. This year alone, more than 250 wolves have been killed -- making the 2008/2009 aerial wolf killing season one of the deadliest in years.

The aerial killing of wolves in Alaska
MUST BE STOPPED!

Please, take action:

-- Urge Your Representative and Senators to Co-Sponsor the PAW Act: http://action.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?id=1517&pagename=homepage

-- Support National Wolf Recovery Plan:
http://action.defenders.org/ourwolves

To learn more and what you can do to help, please click here.


Share on Facebook

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION! HELP PLEASE!!!

!UPDATE! January 21, 2010 at 1:41 am. Great job so far everyone! We will bring info from the debate tomorrow. Important info: The votes are still on, so if you missed it, you can still send in your NO now. Thank you!
-----------------------------------
Here is everybody´s occasion to take action now! Please help Swedish wolves with two clicks!

Plese vote in the poll on Swedish TV4!!!

It is extremly important!!!

There will be a discussion tonight at 22:40 local time with Swedish minister of environment about the recently legalized wolf hunt.

The reporter will announce what public generally thinks, and thus it is extremly important to let them know that we are clearly against the wolf hunting!!!

Please go to: http://www.tv4.se/1.638691

and scroll down to the line, which says
Rätt eller fel med vargjakt?
Under sentence which says: Är det rätt med licensjakt på varg? (Is it right to hunt wolves?), please choose NEJ (NO)
Please forward this to as many people as you know and PLEASE send in your votes!!!!

This must be done before the debate starts! So vote right away, pleae! It´s live at 22:40 pm local time

If you are interested in more information on what is going on in Sweden, please scroll down and read a few of the posts.

Thank you very much!

Share on Facebook

Wolf Day and Demonstration in Örebro

Another demonstration to protest against hunting of Swedish wolves is already being organised.

This time it will take place in Örebro.

Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010

Time: 5:00pm- 8:00pm

Location: Stortorget (the main square)

Invitation from the organisers:

We want this demonstration to show that we can not tolerate the wolf slaughter in Sweden.

Örebro is located between different wolf territories ... and therefore we want you to go out and show your support for the Swedish wolf living!

During the demonstration, various speakers and organizations will apear. More information on the program and details will come later.

Organizers: Rickard Karlsson and Maria Eriksson, members of SRF (Swedish Association for Predators)

Please read about this event at:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/event.php?eid=259483124617&ref=nf

Please, spread the word as widely as you can.

Please attend this protest if you have a chance. It is one of the ways how you can help to stop the nonsence, brutal, unjustified killing and bad governmental decision!

Share on Facebook

DNA important wolf killed in Norway

A DNA important wolf was shot from a helicopter in North Trondelag, Norway. The permission to kill the wolf was granted on Saturday, December 21, afternoon, after three reindeers were found dead in East Namdal. The wolf was killed on Januray 11, 2010.

The Norwegian Evnironment Protection Agency has severly failed it´s job. Please read below, how they have dealt with the situation.

Important wolf, who is believed to originate from the Russian-Finnish strain, was shot in Norway January 11, 2010. A so-called genetic important wolf was convicted on Bang Sea in North-Trøndelag in Norway on 21 December. The wolf shot from a helicopter of the Norwegian authorities. The 43 kilograms heavy male was killed after harrassing reindeer in the Østre Namdal reindeer grazing district.

Environmental Protection Director Svein Karlsen says that it is easy to be wise after the event: "We had no indication that it was a wolf on a walk from the east, and we knew that the animal had killed reindeer. Potential harm was significant because there were 2 000 reindeer in the area. That is why we permited the killing,"

"Now, when we know that we were dealing with a Finnish-Russian wolf, we can say that we could have done more analysis before we made the killing decision. But it does not necessarily mean that the result would have been different", implies Svein Karlsen.

What kind of nonsence is that?! How could one lone wolf be a potential danger to 2000 raindeer?!

This has no scientific base at all. And it again proves the whole core problem, which has the same pattern around entire Scandinavia. The governments do not seek for solutions such as suffecient compensation to stock animal owners, as well as strict measures in dealing with illegal killing from not only hunters, but MAINLY farm animal owners and Saami people, who own the reindeer herds.

This is the core of motives for the war against wolves in Scandinavia!

The wolf had become the perfect foreigner. The perfect target for racism and xenofobia. The hated one that can be harrased and murdered, with government covering the murderer´s back.

-------------------

Read the source article (in Swedish): http://www.jagareforbundet.se/svenskjakt/Startsida/Nyheter/Viktig-invandrad-varg-skots-i-Norge/


Share on Facebook

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Demonstration against wolf hunting - Stockholm, Sweden, January 17,2010

Unlike the press and media, who were invited to write about the event, and who not only chose to not write about it, but also manipulated a lot of information to fit their needs for supporting the government and hunting lobby, we bring the reflections of the demonstration that took place this past Sunday in Stockholm.

It was the first event of this kind, since the brutal slaughter of 27+ Swedish wolves took place between January 2-4th this year.

There were just days to prepare for it, organise it and announce it. Without financial and media backup. Despite that, it turned out to be a professional, well organised, well attended event, only thanks to a group of dedicated and commited people with passion and love for the wolves.

Several hundred people gathered in the old center of Sweden´s capital city, between the parliament building and the castle. I would like to objectively say how many people were there, but it is impossible, as many came after the official start.

What struck me the most of all, was the blend of ages, races, positions, education, etc.. From young people, to families with children, middle aged and pensioners. Politicians, artists, animal lovers, students of dog gymnasium, conservationalists, wildlife photographers, teachers, professors, and many more. What brought them together was one mutual cause - the love, passion and understanding for the wolf kind. The ethical feeling and knowing that what has happened in Sweden and what is going on, is TERRIBLY WRONG.

The speeches of representatives of many organisations and political parties, including the Swedish Predator Association (Svenska Rovdjurforeningen) and Grönt Partiet (Green Party), were absolutely clear:

The decision and act of Swedish government is TOTALY UNACCEPTABLE.
We cannot and will not let the delisting of wolves in Sweden from the endangered species continue.
We cannot and will not let the government kill another wolves, supported by only their ridiculous argument of inbreeding and population control (only a bit over 200 wolves lives in Sweden recently), and lobby from hunting association.

And then there were acts and sharing of experiences from ordinary people, who made one realise the horrible truth.

An older man showed his resignation to his long time employer, the Swedish ministry of agriculture. He rather risked his existence, than working for, and thus supporting the decision makers who ordered so many wolves to die for no reason.

There was a lady from Switzerland, who came to Sweden to study wolves and learn how to track them and anlyze their DNA. She told me a story of a wolf her student group "met" during field work last year, and whom got a name after one of the students. He traveled several hundred kilometers to a new teritory, where he found a partner (so much for closely inbred wolves) and was going to start a new pack. He was killed during the brutal slaughter in Värmland two weeks ago. The lady wasn´t able to finish without breaking into tears.

These, dear readers, are the real stories, that won´t be published in the mass media, such as SVT (Swedish natioal TV) or DN (Daily News). Instead, the half minute shot in TV informed about "group of about 50 animal lovers".

But that won´t change a thing on the fact, that the first of many protests took place, and united many more people with common sense.

It won´t change a fact that the politicians keep forgetting, that without voters, they won´t have their chairs in the next government.
And that there are many voters who are very angry about their government´s bad choices and unethical acts.

This sunday afternoon, when the castle walls lit up by torches and candles and the air filled with people singing and dancing, I felt the spirit of togetherness. The spirit that can help us win this war for our wild brothers, the wolves.

Let´s not give up! The journey continues.

“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” -- Mahatma Gandhi

Picture is worth a thousand words:

Part of the crowd which media and hunting association called the "small group of about 50 wolf lovers".
Touching tributte to the 27+ wolves massacred during the recent wolf hunt, and the 12 wolf pack, wiped out at the Skane ZOO, one week later.

Students from Dog Gymnasium in Örekljunga (several hundred kilometers south of Stockholm) came to say: "With Dogs for Wolves"
Bobby Ho - founder of Bevara och Skydda Vargen (Save and Protect Wolves) group.
The man who bravely gave up his job, because he lives by his ethical standards. Not a very common act these days.
Famous Swedish rapper Dogge Dogelito - making the crowd dance, with his original texts about wolves and politics, and a catchy reage and rap rythms

Candles lit for the fallen wolves. We can´t let this hate killing continue...
Please surf through the blog for more information and subsrcibe to the news feed, to find out how you can help.
Share the information with as many people as you can. Invite your friends to read our blog and to find out what is going on in Sweden.
Permission to copy and repost this article (with a link to the Wolf Howl blog) granted.

Share on Facebook

Finnish wolves are delisted, despite their criticaly low population

Please spare a thought for wolves in Finland. In Lapland, there are currently only around 35 or possibly even fewer wolves remaining in the wild, and within Finland there are only around 200. Hunters are shooting wolves in order to prevent them from attacking reindeer, who are herded and slaughtered for their meat and skins. While Finland promotes itself as a destination for lovers of the great outdoors, wolves are ruthlessly hunted on its snows. Tell the Finnish government to end the killing.

The Finnish government has authorised the killing of wolves in Lapland. With Finland's tiny wolf population already threatened by illegal hunting, the country must protect these charismatic animals. Hunting exposes these animals to injury and causes them a lingering, painful death. It is as inhumane as it is unnecessary. Finland should celebrate the presence of these remarkable and beautiful predators and encourage responsible ecotourism in the areas where they live. In doing so, the country would benefit both the wolves and the human population.

How you can help to End the Wolf Slaughter in Lapland:

Contact and consider joining the Nature League's Wolf Action Group:
Luonto-Liitto / Susiryhmä (Nature League´s Wolf Action Group)
Annankatu 26
A00100 Helsinki, FINLAND
tel. +358-9-684-4420


Share on Facebook

Cool T-Shirts to help wolves in Sweden

Unlike the hunting lobby, the nature and wolf lovers don´t have a huge and rich association behind them to finance their activism.

Please help to fight against the wolf hunt in Sweden, which had already resulted in over 27 official wolf deaths, many life threatening injuries, wolf pupps left alone in fierce cold and hunger, when their parents were killed. Swedish government is planning a slaughter of minimum 50 more wolves next year, even though there are only a bit over 200 wolves in the entire country and their species are close to extinction.

Advertising, raising awareness, organising events for public to hear what is going on, all costs money, which needs to be donated and fundraised.

Please help the Bevara och Skydda Vargen (Save and Protec the Wolf) and Nordiska Rovjursnetverket (Nordic Network for Predators) groups in their outstanding efforts.

One of the ways is buying these cool, original and limited series T-shirts!:

"Bevara och Skydda Vargen - Save and Protect Wolves"

"Rör inte min varg! - Don´t touch my wolf!"
They are white with black print. Available in womens and mens models, and in all sizes. Good quality but LIMITED time only!

Mens 120:-SEK (12:-Euro), Womens 140:-SEK (14:-Euro).

Please, email your orders to: wolf@ostmediagroup.com

---------------------------------------

If you want to make a donation, here is the bank information:

Nordiska Rovdjursnätverket
Bank: Swedbank
Clearing nr: 8156-2
Kontonummer: 914 615 231-0
IBAN: SE6980000815629146152310
BIC/SWIFT: SWEDSESS

Share on Facebook

Friday, January 15, 2010

Sweden plans to kill even more wolves in 2011

Two weeks have past since the governmental decision unleashed the brutal killing of 27+ wolves, by lifting a ban that stood for 45 years, in Sweden.

However, this is not just a tragedy for the endangered wolf species in Sweden, where only between 200 and 300 wolves struggle to survive in coexistance with prejudice and hate driven locals and hunters.

This is just the beginning.

The Swedish government decided to raise the quota to 50-60 wolves to be killed next year, including entire families (alfa wolves with their offspring, born between 2010 and 2011, to keep the population down at 200-210.

Since the first three January days, when the unethical and unprofessional, worldwide criticized hunt, which turned out into a brutal slaughter, shocking thousands of people, the media have been filled with press releases, statistics, interviews, discussions and more.

And as the time went by, the true story started to unfold...

Hidden by a prepared cover up from the hunting lobbyists, minister of environment Andreas Carlgren informed, that the hunt was a necessairy measure to cull individuals weakened by genetic disorders and malfunctions, caused by excessive inbreeding in the small wolf population.

Although scientists could not understand this absurde nonsense justification, this was Carlgren´s first attempt to manipulate and mislead the public. Wolf experts made a clear point then, that in order to solve the problem of inbreeding in the Swedish wolf population, more wolves with a new DNA pattern (fresh blood) would have to be introduced to the existing strain and the entire population rised up to between 500-2000 individuals, to maintain a healthy population and diversity.

When the official results of authopsies, performed on all the wolves, turned in for examination, came out, the scientistcs were not at all surprised (some even expected it) to hear all of the wolves were perfectly healthy, good and beautiful specimen.

After days of scilence, when Carlgren decided not to comment on the scientists´ criticism, new information came out through the press.

Many of the wolf experts suddenly changed their minds, and started to support the decision for extending the licenced culling.

Although charts, graphs and statistics clearly show how the wolf population in Sweden struggles, although illegal kiling by locals results in deaths of dozens of wolves in various regions of the country, the latest information, that ran through the media is that the population is successfuly rising annualy, and that illegal hunting is decreasing.

Some of the scientists started to support the administration, suggesting that culling next year by 50-60 wolves, will help maintain an optimal population size.

Just read all the articles published here in the past two weeks. Read and compare the information from the media, that we directly link to. Then you will know this is the plain, absurde, truth.

All this, and many other aditional information, add up to the total picture and help reveal the true motives of the legalized hunting.

Politics it is. Again, as countless times in history, the politics is dirty and it kills.

As long as the government will not start searching for solutions of illegal hunting, for the conflicts between people, their animals and the wolves, that result in intollerance and hate, wolves will keep struggling for their survival.

By freezing the wolf population (as the former government did), or by culling it down to near extinction (as the present one does), the illegal hunting, hate, misinformation and unacceptance will never stop.

And this is the truth in the nutshell. I have so many stories and evidence from the local hunters, who illegally kill wolves, and I hear experiences from the people who live their daily lives in the areas where the wolf wars are in it´s hottest core.

And I will focus more on informing on what is going on "behind the scences", and on bringing you closer to the reality of the rural and wilderness areas, where many people still believe in stories of the Little Red Hood, where people actually seriously believe there´s too many wolves out there, and who take nature for granted, as it´s always been here, ever since they knew. In the remote areas many people still take law into their hands, and believe that the best justice "is in the barrel", sort to speak. And they think the nature and the wildlife is theirs to do whatever they please with. The government let´s them get away with it.

Please follow the blog to obtain the latest updates on the situation in Sweden.

The more people read what is going on here, the more people will open their eyes, and more will join in helping the cause to save and protect the wolves in Sweden.

Together we can change the fate of the wolf kind, but we need to unite. We need every single voice to outweight the lobbyists, to send letters to the government and let them know what they are doing is absoultly unaceptable.

This year, there are elections in Sweden. A lot can be achieved then, with our votes.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In deed, it´s the only thing that ever has" -- Margaret Meade.

Please, spread the word. Take action (you will find suggestions of how you can help wolves, on the menu on the right side of the blog). Feel free to comment, and express your thoughts.

The jounrey continues. The wolves need our help. Let´s not let them down!

Katerina

Read the article "More wolves to be killed" ("Fler Vargar ska skjutas") (in Swedish):http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/fler-vargar-ska-skjutas_4092385.svd

Share on Facebook

Entire wolf pack euthanised in Orsa animal park

It hasn´t been even two weeks since the the brutal slaughtering of more than 27 wolves in Sweden, and there are already more tragical news.

After the absurde tragedy in Skane´s Animal Park, which should definitly be investigated further (we will inform about it on the blog in the upcomming days), we bring the sad news from Orsa bear park, where an entire wolf pack of 11, including puppies, was wiped out.

As long as animlas will be considered a property, uacceptable acts like this will keep happening, without any consequences.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Read the following newspaper article:
Source: http://www.dt.se/ (Translated by Google)

"Entire wolf pack killed "

It is not only Skåne's zoo who kill wolves. Last fall Grönklitt killed the whole wolf family, eleven animals. Grönklitt is getting new wolfes, the female comes from Riga in Latvia and the male from Langedrag in Norway.

"Alpha couple were too old, 14-15 years, "explains Pernilla Thalin, zoo director in Grönklitt. Since it would be difficult to bring new individuals in the pack all had to be killed. Now it has been wolves in the zoo over the winter, but there are seven wolves belonging Borås Zoo.

The decision to euthanise all of the wolves in Grönklitt was made after consultation with Mats Amundin on Kolmården. He is a wolf coordinator for the zoo in the entire Nordic region. Kenneth Ekwall at Stockholm University also works as a zoologist at Grönklitt. He explains that the alpha pair was about to go out of time and that there were some social problems in the pack. Kenneth Ekwall said that there were problems with previous inbreeding among zoo wolves in Sweden. These problems culminated in the 1970s. Since then, breeding efforts have focused on getting healthy wolves.


Grönklitt now has a new wolf from Latvia and one male from Norway is part of Mats Amundins plans to keep the zoo free of wolves inbreeding problems. Kenneth Ekwall explains the process of killing the wolves: first they will be sedated, then examined and finally they get a syringe with a substance that makes them fall asleep for good.

" We tend to be open with what is going on. We have previously informed the hunting organizations - We usually also notify the police before we kill animals. - It is always sad to do this, "says Ekwall regarding the killing of the old alpha pair and their pups.

Jan Norberg jan.norberg @ dt.se

Read the article in Swedish:
http://www.dt.se/nyheter/orsa/article557064.ece

Share on Facebook

Environmental Organisations meet EU Comission - A hope for the future of Swedish wolves

Yesterday the representatives of WWF (World Wildlife Fun) and Swedish Association for Carnivores (Svenska Rovjurforeningen) met wit those of EU Comission.

Sweden has severly violated the rules within EU, for protection of endangered species of carnivores, when lifting the ban for licenced wolf hunting, after 45 years. The Swedish wolf population ranges only around 250 wolves in the whole large country, and is severly endgangered by illegal hunting, caused mainly by local intolerance and hate.

This is the first positive major step in helping the wolves survive, since the brutal three day slaughter between January 2-4th took place.


Please read the following article:

"Today hits environmentalism EU Comission" (google translate version)
By Jon Rohner

According to environmentalists, Sweden has violated the common rules on how endangered carnivores should be protected within the EU. Today the results will meet representatives of the Nature Conservation Society, WWF and the Swedish Society for Predators to a group senior officials at the European Commission.

According to Nature Conservation, WWF and the Swedish Society for Predator, now in place in Brussels met European Commission, Sweden has violated the EU's nature and habitat. A notification will be submitted shortly.

The organizations said that they are extremely hopeful that the EU will force the government to change its predator policy.

Previously, Finland has been convicted of hunting of wolves in similar circumstances. Environmental organizations argue that there is no doubt that the Swedish wolf hunting is illegal.

Scientists agree that the wolf in Sweden is far from a favorable status. The wolf is still an endangered species displayed on the official red list. "The hunt is simply illegal,"said SSNC chairman Mikael Karlsson. Nature Conservation Society also notes in a press release that the rules of the Habitats Directive, adopted in 1992. Sweden pledged to follow the directive of the accession to the EU in 1995. The directive makes clear that hunting license may only be permitted if the species reached the "favorable conservation status".

During the hunt wolves were felled indiscriminately without ready access to reduced property damage, the hunt was not targeted at specific individuals. Therefore, I believe that Sweden will be felled in the same way as Finland. I am convinced that the Commission and the Court will see through the government's increasingly strained attempts to persevere that the pursuit in January was legal, "says Oscar Alaric is environmental lawyer at the Society for Nature Conservation, who is now on place in Brussels.

Read the article in Swedish, at the original source: http://miljoaktuellt.idg.se/2.1845/1.285073/vargjakten-idag-traffar-miljororelsen-eu-kommissionen

UPDATE: The news has made it to the Swedish National Television SVT today:

Read: "Wolf hunt reported to the EU-comission"
("Vargjakten anmäls till EU-kommissionen") - http://svt.se/2.22620/1.1847371/vargjakt..

Share on Facebook

Dance of Wolves

A tribute to all the wolves - the fallen, the present and the future.

Please help their beautiful species to survive. Take actions. Join us as we continue to fight for these wild children of nature. Read more and learn the truth about the wolf kind.


Share on Facebook

Demonstration against wolf hunting in Sweden


Sunday, January 17, 2010 - Mynttorget, Stockholm
(old town - located between the castle and the parliament house)

14:00 - 17:00 pm

IN UNITY IS POWER - See You there!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”….Margaret Meade


Bevara och Skyda Vargen´s motto: "Don´t touch my wolf!"

Wolf Howl - blog for wolves will be covering the demonstration "live" and will bring reportage as well as photos. Sign up for our RSS feed and follow us.


Share on Facebook