Hunters shoot dead 54 wolves in Sweden’s largest ever cull

Scientists warn that wolf numbers not large enough to sustain healthy population

Swedish hunters have shot dead 54 wolves in a month in the country’s largest and most controversial cull of the animals yet, prompting fury from conservationists and satisfaction among farmers who consider the predators a threat to their livelihoods.

The Stockholm government has authorised the shooting of 75 wolves in its 2023 cull, more than twice last year’s figure, despite warnings from scientists that wolf numbers are not large enough to sustain a healthy population.