Wolf management in Spain. Scientific debates on wolf hunting

Wolves (Canis lupus) were decreasing in Spain for much of the twentieth century, but from the 1970’s, they began a recovery that has been going on until today. Nowadays, there are more than 2,000 wolves across 115,000 km2 of the north-western quadrant of Spain. Wolves are controversial because of the conflicts with livestock and are, therefore, culled in some areas of Spain. Their great adaptability and high reproductive potential allow the sustainable wolf harvest as a game species. However, the wolf is a symbol for different sectors of the public, which complicates wolf hunting regulations and its management. This article describes wolf management in the different Spanish autonomous regions and the ecological, social and administrative factors involved in the wolf conflict. Through a literature review, I discuss the role of hunting and wolf tourism in rural development, and I introduce the current debate on whether hunting improves the perception of the wolf and reduces poaching and damage to livestock