Three wolf pups are born in Catalonia for the first time in 100 years

BarcelonaA century later, a wolf has been born again in Catalonia. This "historic milestone" was announced Wednesday by the Catalan Interior Ministry through its Rural Agents Corps. Three pups have been confirmed in a large area between Alta Garrotxa and Alt Empordà. The discovery comes after decades of monitoring the species, which had disappeared from the region. until a quarter of a century agoThen, the return of an isolated wolf was detected in the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. With the birth of the pups, as stipulated by regulations, the wolf automatically transitioned from an extinct species to an endangered species. The pairing of the parents of these three pups has not been an easy process. Almost two years ago, Rural Agents confirmed the presence of a wolf in this area of the Girona region. In May, they were able to genetically identify it and discovered it was a female. That same month, they located a second animal in the area, which they identified as a male. But the two wolves always traveled separately and were always far from each other. This changed in December 2024: suddenly, the two animals were together. From that moment on, the Rural Agents intensified the monitoring and surveillance of the area, which is a very large and extensive region with complex terrain.

This close monitoring allowed for the detection of changes in the behavior of adult wolves as the breeding season approached, well into spring. The Rural Agents opted for a more targeted approach, avoiding interference during this sensitive period and waiting until autumn, when the pups begin to follow the adults throughout the territory, to verify whether the pair had successfully reproduced. Thus, this autumn, when the pups began to roam much more, the Rural Agents were able to detect them and confirm that there were three. This year, 2025, marks twenty-five years since the reappearance of the first wolf in Catalonia; it was an animal of Italian origin that had arrived via France. This event marked the beginning of a natural return process for a species that had disappeared from Catalan territory.

From a biological perspective, the return of the wolf is a "natural and logical" process, explains the Catalan government. The presence of prey favors the predator's return, which contributes to restoring the ecological balance of ecosystems. The Catalan executive adds that the wolf's reappearance in Catalonia is not only a significant biological phenomenon but also an indicator of the transformation of the natural environment in recent decades. The species' return to Catalonia is "very important news for nature." "The Catalan government will work to ensure its coexistence with the livestock sector," concludes the Catalan government. The Rural Agents Corps, responsible for monitoring the wolf in Catalonia, has intensified surveillance of this group to understand its behavior and habits, as well as potential interactions with human activities. The wolf's new status in Catalonia entails the drafting, processing, and approval of a recovery plan, as stipulated by European regulations. The Catalan government specifies that all measures taken from now on will be coordinated with the Wolf Committee and the relevant departments: Interior, Territory, and Agriculture and Livestock.

More agents and support for livestock farming

The Catalan Government has already planned to monitor the new situation. It is working on specializing more Rural Agents and increasing the efficiency and resources of the force to address this new reality. In parallel, the Generalitat explained this Wednesday that it is intensifying its direct work with livestock farms and, together with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), is developing a project to improve support for extensive livestock farming, as has been the case in the Wolf Roundtable, which includes the three relevant departments and representatives from agricultural unions. Furthermore, the Government reiterates that it has been promoting coexistence measures for some time to minimize damage to livestock caused by the presence of isolated wolves in Catalonia. The livestock damage prevention program includes measures such as providing preventative equipment, such as electric fences; promoting the use of livestock guardian dogs; and offering financial support to farmers to implement self-protection measures. In the statement, the Generalitat also specifies that, at the proposal of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, they have recently approved the Extensive Livestock Farming Plan, which includes specific measures to guarantee the coexistence of livestock farming with wildlife. The Government argues that the presence of the wolf will also contribute to controlling the population of large ungulates, such as roe deer and wild boar, which are also causing serious damage to agriculture and livestock farming.