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Hybridisation
between wolves and dogs should always be regarded as undesirable,
and it is a potentially serious conservation threat in small
isolated wolf populations where even a few individuals can represent
a large proportion of the population. This picture is from Latvia in
1999. These pups were found in a den in the forest. Genetic analysis
indicated that the mother was probably a hybrid and that the father
was a wolf. The pups were removed from the wild and placed in a zoo.
This was a period during which wolves were being very heavily
persecuted - potentially leading to a situation where wolves found
it difficult to find mates. In recent years wolf - dog hybrids have
also been detected in Norway and Germany - and in both cases most of
the hybrid offspring were either shot or captured. |
