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Iberian Wolf

History Until the 1900s the Iberian

wolf inhabited the majority of the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal government started an extermination campaign during the 1950s and 1960s that almost wiped out the animals from Portugal.

Although wolf hunting is banned in Portugal, about 45% of wolf deaths are due to human activities, including illegal hunting.

Features and adaptations

The Iberian wolf isa subspecies of the grey wolf that inhabits the forest and plains of northern Portugal and northwestern Spain.

The Iberian wolf differs from the more common Eurasian wolf with its slighter frame, white marks on the upper lips, the dark marks on the tail and a pair of dark marks in its front legs.

Diet

Their food is very varied, depending on the presence or absence of wild prey and various types of grazing in each region. Life in pack allows the wolves to hunt enough animals that are larger than themselves.

Their main prey are wild boars, roe deers and deers, and the most common domestic prey are sheep, goats, chickens, horses and cows.

Occasionally, the wolves kill and eat dogs. When they find corpses of animals, they eat them, this means that wolves are, sometimes, scavengers.

Behavior The Iberian wolf pack

lives in strong hierarchical organizations. The number of animals in a pack varies between 3 to 10 individuals and is composed of a breeding pair (alpha pair), one or more individuals adults or sub-adults and cubs. The pack hunts and defends the territory in group.

Distribution• Portugal:

In Portugal there are mainly two populations of the Iberian Wolf separated by the Douro river:

In the north area of the Douro river, there is a prosperous population in the mountainous area (Minho and Trás-os-Montes pronvinces). This population covers about 50 packs.

• There’s another population south of the Douro river that is in decline. This population covers about 10 packs. The future of these packs is uncertain, considering that they may become extinct shortly.

Preservation• In Portugal the Iberian wolf is classified as a

endangered species (EN), while in Spain it is classified as Vulnerable (VU). The population of Iberian wolves has been increasing due to conservation efforts both in Portugal and in Spain.

Centre for Iberian Wolf Recovery in Mafra

• The Centre for Iberian Wolf Recovery (CRLI) was created in 1987 by Wolf Group, with the aim of providing a suitable environment for wolves that can not live in freedom.

Wolves’ Adoption• The adoption of one or

more wolves living in the Centre is a popular way to financially assist our work. The adoptive parents can keep in touch with the project and its wolves, through regular visits to the centre.

• The adoption is formalized through a minimum annual donation:

1. Individual - 35€

2. Groups and families (grandparents, parents and children up to age 17) - 45€

3. School classes and scout groups - 45€

Volunteering• Our program allows you to

participate in a wide range of daily activities at the centre, including assisting with animal feeding, checking water, maintenance of the Centre infrastructure, fire prevention, cleaning, observing wolves to check their health, support for reception and administrative work and monitoring of visitors.

The End


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