Number of roaming wolves higher than usual this summer – what does it mean?

Many one-year-old wolves leave their birth pack in the summer to look for a mate and a territory to make their own. What do we know about roaming wolves?

According to the wolf population estimate published in June, the number of wolf packs has grown. Many wolf couples had cubs in the spring of 2019, so the couples became family packs. The cubs survived the very mild winter in good condition. Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) anticipates that Finland may see a higher than normal number of roaming wolves this summer.

Wolves are highly adaptable animals and learn quickly which areas should be avoided. Young wolves, however, lack experience and therefore approach populated areas more often than experienced individuals as they are settling in a new area. As time passes, they become familiar with their new territory, which usually reduces the number of occasions they visit people’s backyards.

Wolves spotted near human settlements often cause worry, especially for the safety of domestic animals. However, much can be done to control the situation and the risks.

Young wolves leave their birth pack at around one to two years. They usually leave in the late winter or early spring, when they are about one year old, and their mother is getting ready for the next litter. Some of the cubs from the previous year stay on their birth pack’s territory to help with raising the new litter, leaving the pack later in the summer or in the winter.

Spring is the best time for a young and inexperienced wolf to roam, because food is more readily available than in other seasons. The wolf’s purpose is to find a mate and a suitable territory in which to raise their cubs. Roaming wolves must avoid already claimed territories, because packs do not take kindly to strangers in their area. Roaming is dangerous, and the mortality rate of roaming wolves is much higher than of those living safely within their own territories.

Wolves’ roaming routes can be complex. A young wolf can stay in an area for a week, only to continue on its meandering journey. During the daytime, the young wolf mostly rests. It continues its journey in the evening and throughout the night. If it finds a mate before finding a suitable territory, the wolves carry on the search as a couple. The distance wolves can roam varies from dozens to thousands of kilometres. The Nordic record for the longest roam belongs to a female wolf with a GPS collar, who started her travels in Southern Norway and ended up in the eastern parts of Finnish Lapland. Calculated over a straight line, she travelled 1,100 kilometres. But taking all her detours into account, the actual length of her journey was 10,000 kilometres!

Roaming wolves are usually tracked with GPS collars, but DNA monitoring also provides us with new information.

Young wolves enter people’s backyards more often than individuals who have lived in the area longer. A roaming wolf can pass through populated areas on their way to somewhere else. A young wolf couple that has just taken over a new territory is not yet familiar with the area, and does not yet know how best to avoid humans. The young wolves will explore their new home territory, and the visits most often occur at night.

If you meet a wolf near a human settlement, do not approach the animal and do not feed it. Wolves are intelligent and learn very quickly where to get food easily. In populated areas shared with a pack of wolves, it must be ensured there is no food source to tempt wolves into or near backyards. It is important that wolves are not taught to seek food near houses.

Wolves wandering too close to human settlements can be scared off by loud noises. Young wolves will quickly learn where they are not wanted. While scaring off wolves, it should be kept in mind that the animal must not be harmed or followed as it runs away.

It is also important to report all wolf sightings to the local large carnivore contact person. The contact person monitors and keeps a record of sightings of large carnivores in the area. If the wolves are frequently sighted in people’s yards, the Finnish Wildlife Agency will assess whether the wolf must be repelled.

The situation is more dangerous if a wolf is not alarmed by humans and does not immediately run away on seeing them. In such a case, call rescue services immediately. The police will then assess the situation. If a wolf continuously causes dangerous situations, the police can issue an order to repel it. If the repelling measures are tried twice without result, the police can issue an order to put the wolf down. If a wolf approaches a human, the order to put the wolf down can be issued very quickly when necessary, without trying to repel the wolf first.

If you have domestic animals and are worried about their safety, please contact your regional office of the Finnish Wildlife Agency or SusiLIFE project planning officers directly. They will provide information and guidance on how to protect your animals, or what to do in the event of losses caused by wolves.

Most wolves do not pose any threat to humans. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local large carnivore contact person or SusiLIFE project planning officers. If you are unsure whom you should contact, email us at susilife@luke.fi, and we will find the correct party for you.

The planners of the LIFE BOREALWOLF project can be contacted in matters concerning the prevention of losses. In acute situations, when losses have already occurred or when the risk of losses is particularly high, the project planners should be contacted urgently.

Contact details:
Mari Tikkunen
Finnish Wildlife Agency Kainuu
mari.tikkunen@riista.fi
029 431 2239

Mikko Jokinen
Finnish Wildlife Agency Satakunta
mikko.jokinen@riista.fi
029 431 2324