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Story by Cassidy Lovell

 • 23h • 2 min read

With lax regulations and an annual hunting quota, the animals are just barely getting by.

The Swedish government has put in motion a plan to halve the country’s population of endangered wolves, outraging conservationists.

What happened?

As Mongabay detailed, the Swedish government permitted a hunt in January that allowed for the killing of 30 endangered wolves. According to the Guardian, there were 375 recorded individuals before the hunt. Despite records that the population dropped around 20% in 2022-23, the government announced the intention to reduce numbers further.

The new “favorable conservation status” population number has been set at 170, down from the previous minimum of 300.  

Berne convention members also ruled recently that the wolves’ status be moved from “strictly protected” to “protected,” with this coming into force in March. This will enable more wolves to be legally culled in European nations. The ruling has been made to protect farmer’s livestock and stop the wolf population from getting out of control. 

However, according to the Guardian, environmental experts believe the ruling would not only be devastating for the wolves but for the wider ecosystem across the European continent as well.  

Why is the wolf population important?

For nearly 20 years and until 1983, Sweden had no wolf breeding population. With lax regulations and a hunting quota, the wolves are just barely getting by, the news outlet reported.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Ecosystems have a fragile balance. Without a top predator, prey species can over-populate, and the entire habitat can pay the price. 

What’s being done to protect the wolves?

Unfortunately, the government gave the go-ahead and handed out permits to hunters, but this hasn’t stopped protection efforts. Conservationists continue to speak out against the unnecessary killing of wolves.

A decade ago, similar outcry from conservationists, including the European Environmental Bureau and WWF, kept 44 wolves from being culled, showing action can yield results.

If you’re concerned about animal conservation where you live, you can donate to climate causes, or you can write to your local representative about the importance of healthy ecosystems.

Seven unique hunting licences issued by the Alberta government have sold for the equivalent of C$356,000 at an auction in Utah. The Alberta Minister’s Special Licences are issued annually and exempt hunters with the highest bid from certain rules.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Pressabout 7 hours ago

• https://www.rmoutlook.com/beyond-local/albertas-special-hunting-licences-yield-356k-at-utah-auction-10247673

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Seven unique hunting licences issued by the Alberta government have sold for the equivalent of C$356,000 at an auction in Utah.

The Alberta Minister’s Special Licences are issued annually and exempt hunters with the highest bid from certain rules.

At the 2025 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Utah on the weekend, hunters paid US$50,000 each for moose and elk licences, while the mule deer licence was the most coveted and sold for US$70,000.

The white-tailed deer licence sold for US$32,500; the cougar licence sold for US$29,000; and the one for a pronghorn sold for US$15,000.

The turkey licence fetched the least at US$4,500.

An eighth special licence issued by the province this year, for a bighorn sheep — Alberta’s official mammal, sold for a record-breaking US$400,000 at a different U.S. auction.

Licence holders are allowed to kill one animal that the licence is for, but the hunt can take place year-round in most parts of the province, as long as hunting for that animal is already permitted in the area.

Licence holders don’t need to be Alberta or Canadian residents, and each licence is valid for one year.

Compared to last year, the 2025 bighorn sheep, moose and pronghorn licences all sold for higher amounts, while the elk, turkey, and mule deer licences sold for less.

The mule deer licence in 2024 yielded US$160,000 — more than twice as much as this year.

Cougar and white-tailed deer licences weren’t issued in 2024.

Overall, the 2025 special licences fetched C$923,000, which the government has pledged for animal conservation projects.

Alexandru Cioban, a spokesperson for Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen, did not immediately respond to questions Monday but said last month the funds are given to the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society.

The society, which is responsible for licensing hunting guides and outfitters on behalf of the government, administers the funds on behalf of a committee, which doles out the money in the form of grants for conservation projects.

Jeana Schuurman, the society’s managing director, has said the committee has representatives from conservation organizations and post-secondary schools, as well as an Indigenous representative and a member of the public.

Cioban said in January that habitat enhancement, disease management in wild sheep and wildlife movement ecology studies are examples of projects the licences have helped fund in past years.

“While the funds raised vary from year to year, the Minister’s Special Licence program provides a steady flow of funding to conservation projects,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2025.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press