The Wolf: Past, Present and Future
In recent years, wolves have received almost constant media coverage for a variety of reasons: attacks on livestock, recovery of new habitats for the species, wolves killed by hunters, wolves persecuted by ranchers/herders, the growing wolf population, reports of wolves in Madrid, etc. But how much of this information is accurate?
| Duration: | 2 hours 30 minutes |
How much truth is there to all these reports that subject a species to intense critical scrutiny and repeatedly make it headline news?
Are there really as many wolves as they say? Have they reclaimed territories thanks to human initiatives? Are wolf attacks on livestock really that frequent? Does their territory have the right conditions for Iberian wolves to find a habitat where they can survive and thrive? Is tourism bad for wolves and their territory? How does human activity affect the wolf population, and vice versa?
We will try to answer these and many other questions in the course of three 30-minute lectures, exploring the most complicated aspects of an iconic yet controversial species. This altruistic activity aims to shed light on the real situation of wolves today, the threats they face and the future that awaits them by offering independent lectures that address all of the most relevant aspects of this magnificent animal, underscoring the importance of sustainability and responsibility for the development of the species.
Speakers
- Fernando Palacios, promoter of an independent wolf census. On 29 October of this year, the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid hosted the presentation of a volunteer programme to conduct an independent scientific census of the Iberian wolf population across the entire Iberian Peninsula. The project's scientific director is CSIC researcher Fernando Palacios, who in recent years has devoted a significant part of his time and energy to studying the Iberian wolf.
- José Luis Santiago, biologist and forest engineer in Sierra de la Culebra. He has worked for several years with Puebla Town Council to recover and organise the wolf population in Sierra de la Culebra. He currently works as a forestry expert on summer forest fire-fighting campaigns and is a knowledgeable authority on the wolf and its habitat in different regions of Spain.
- Paco Huertas, a nature guide with an intimate knowledge of the wolf species in different regions where responsible wolf-watching tourism is promoted. He works as a consultant for Radio Nacional on the topic of nature tourism and other tourism formats, and for Radio Turismo, a station dedicated to alternative tourism.
