“Wolves, bears, and boars are growing in number in Greece. A wildlife specialist referenced in the article credits milder winters and the falling popularity of hunting,” reports The Doomslayer.
The Independent adds:
Brown bears, Greece’s largest predator, have made a remarkable comeback. Their numbers have increased roughly fourfold since the 1990s, said Dimitrios Bakaloudis, a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki who specialises in wildlife management and conservation.
Up to an estimated 870 brown bears roam the forests of northern Greece, according to the most recent survey by Arcturos, an environmental organisation set up in 1992 that provides a sanctuary for rescued bears and wolves.
And it’s not just bears. Wolves also have seen their numbers rise. While wolves could only be found as far south as central Greece in 2010, they have now spread to the outskirts of Athens and into the Peloponnese in southern Greece, Bakaloudis said.
Their recovery has been sustained in part by the also increasing population of wild boars, which is unrelated to conservation efforts. Rather, a combination of a number of factors, including a reduction of hunting, milder winters and cross-breeding with domestic pigs, have led them to reproduce at a faster rate, Professor Bakaloudis explained.
“North America’s big four terrestrial carnivores—gray wolves, pumas, black bears, and grizzly bears—have seen a strong recovery in recent decades. All four species have significantly expanded their population and range, though they remain far below historic levels,” notes The Doomslayer.
Wolverines have made a comeback in Finland.
Bear, wolf, lynx, and wolverine numbers have risen in Europe as a whole.
