Wolf captured on hidden camera at national park in Spain – first sighting in 100 years

Wolf captured on hidden camera at national park in Spain – first sighting in 100 years.

A camera hidden by Spain’s Rural Agents in the wild captured the first image of a wolf in the Aigüestortes National Park, in the Vall de Boí, Lleida, a situation that has not been recorded in at least a century.

“The snapshot was taken in February and we are looking for genetic samples in the area in order to identify the specimen and its origin,” said Rural Agents.

A wolf has previously been identified in the Alta Ribagorza in Aragonese and, experts are now studying whether the image belongs to the same specimen or to a different one.

Members of the Department of the Environment of the Generalitat have explained that until they have genetic samples they will not be able to know.

The photograph was taken as part of Rural Agents’ ongoing monitoring of the fauna at the national park. Cameras that are activated by movement have, on other occasions, captured images of bears in the Pyrenees.

Nine regions have joined forces to prevent the wolf from being a protected species throughout Spain.

Castilla y Leon, Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, Aragon, Andalucia, Madrid, Murcia, the Basque Country and the autonomous city of Ceuta, together with agricultural organisations Asaja, COAG and UPA have promoted a common project to demand that the Government withdraw the approval procedure of the order that intends to include wolves on the List of Wild Species under the Special Protection Regime (LESPRE).

En el marc del seguiment de fauna que els #AgentsRurals fem al #PNAiguestortes fotografiem un llop a la comarca de l'Alta Ribagorça.

La instantània va ser capturada el mes de febrer i estem buscant mostres genètiques a la zona per tal de poder identificar l'exemplar. pic.twitter.com/ikKjuz4d82

— Agents Rurals (@agentsruralscat) March 27, 2021