Five new wolf pups are born in Catalonia

BarcelonaCatalonia had not recorded any wolf births in the last hundred years, but it seems that this trend is beginning to change: for the second consecutive year, a pair of wolves (Canis lupus) has bred in our region. As confirmed this Wednesday by the Rural Agents, five pups were born in the last few days to a pair of wolves in the Alt Empordà and Alta Garrotxa region.

The same pair already procreated in 2025 and gave birth to the first three wolf pups born on Catalan soil in over a century. Now the pack is made up of two adult wolves –the parents–,two subadult individuals born last year –which are a male and a female– and the five new pups, who were born just a few days ago.

Regarding the third adolescent wolf that was born in 2025, the Department of Interior has communicated that it has not been detected with the group for "a few days". They explain that this may be because the animal has already begun its stage of emancipation from the group or because it has disappeared.

A wolf recovery plan for next year

Given that the Canis lupus is a threatened species in danger of extinction, the Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition is finalizing the Wolf Recovery Plan, as required by current regulations. According to a statement by the Government, the document will be completed within the framework of the Wolf Table with all parties interested in the management of this species. In principle, the plan should be submitted for public information at the beginning of next year.

The presence of the wolf in Catalonia has been confirmed continuously since the year 2000. These are solitary wolves coming from France that are part of the natural expansion of the Italian population that colonized the French Alps in 1992 and from there expanded to our region. Throughout these years, most sightings have occurred in the northern half of Catalonia, in the regions of the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, Central Catalonia, and Girona.

Support for farmers

Despite being good news, the presence of the wolf in Catalonia also worries farmers due to the impact it may have on herds. In this regard, the Government has assured that the Department of Agriculture will reinforce direct support for livestock farms in the face of the effects caused by the presence of the wolf in the territory. Specifically, work is underway to modify a decree so that the department can directly assume the actions of accompanying farmers and managing compensation for damages caused by large carnivores. It should be remembered that in the last five years, 47 files have been processed for damage caused by the wolf, of which 35 have been positive.