Although approximately five million people live in and around the Romanian Carpathians, wolves, along with bears and lynxes, have one of their European strongholds in this mountain range.
They are distributed almost continuously over the Carpathian Mountains and their population densities are very high compared to other parts in Europe.
After World War II, wolves were present in all forested parts of Romania and numbered over 4,000 animals. However, excessive livestock depredation occurred and as a result in 1955, the government launched a campaign to control wolf numbers.
Intensive hunting, trapping, searching for wolf dens to kill the pups, and particularly the use of poison, reduced wolves to a low level up until the late sixties.
By 1967, the wolf population had declined to about 1,500 and only the remoteness of the mountains and the increasing number of deer and wild boar saved the wolf from even further decline.
Due to the fact that other species, such as brown bears, wild boar, and birds of prey, also suffered from poisoning, the use of poison was forbidden in 1991.
Until then, the wolf population had continued to increase slowly and, according to official numbers, reached about 3,100 individuals in 1996. This represents about 30% of all European wolves west of Russia.
After World War II, wolves were present in all forested parts of Romania and numbered over 4,000 animals. However, excessive livestock depredation occurred and as a result in 1955, the government launched a campaign to control wolf numbers.
Intensive hunting, trapping, searching for wolf dens to kill the pups, and particularly the use of poison, reduced wolves to a low level up until the late sixties.
By 1967, the wolf population had declined to about 1,500 and only the remoteness of the mountains and the increasing number of deer and wild boar saved the wolf from even further decline.
Due to the fact that other species, such as brown bears, wild boar, and birds of prey, also suffered from poisoning, the use of poison was forbidden in 1991.
Until then, the wolf population had continued to increase slowly and, according to official numbers, reached about 3,100 individuals in 1996. This represents about 30% of all European wolves west of Russia.
