Sweden sets quota to cull 72 wolves in 2027

The Swedish government has announced a plan to allow the killing of up to 72 wolves in 2027 as part of a long-standing effort to manage the population and combat inbreeding. The proposed cull is scheduled to take place between January 2 and February 15 across five counties near Stockholm.

This decision follows a judicial setback last year when an administrative court blocked a plan to kill 48 wolves, ruling that regional authorities had not sufficiently proven that the hunt would not harm the population's health. The current Swedish wolf population is estimated at approximately 355 individuals.

The policy has sparked intense debate. Farmers and hunters argue that population reduction is necessary to protect livestock. Conversely, environmental organizations and the European Commission have criticized the move, calling it “outrageous.” Critics, including the Swedish Society for the Protection of Nature, warn that killing one in five wolves could exacerbate existing inbreeding issues and threaten the species' long-term survival.