Briefly 685 EUROPE
Dam removal boosts connectivity in Swedish Lapland With financial support from the Open Riv- ers Programme, Rewilding Sweden have overseen the removal of four small dams in Swedish Lapland. The barriers were located within the Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka Bio- sphere Reserve in the county of Västerbot- ten, northwest of the city of Umeå. The removal of the barriers will enhance the connectivity of 84 km of waterways. These waterways run into the free-flowing, 450 km long Vindel, the largest tributary in Sweden. A second grant will see five more dams in the Vindel River catchment investi- gated for potential removal in
2025.Artificial barriers are one of themain threats to aquat- ic and riparian biodiversity. They signifi- cantly degrade river ecosystems by causing habitat loss and fragmentation, altering the distribution of sediments and nutrients, and concentrating pollutants. Source: Rewilding Europe (2024)
rewildingeurope.com/news/dam-removal- boosts-connectivity-in-swedish-lapland
Police seize 6,000 wild birds’ eggs in UK raids Morethan6,000eggshavebeenseized in the biggest haul of its kind in UK history, after police carried out raids in Scotland, South Yorkshire, Essex, Wales and Gloucester. Thousands of eggs were found in attics, offices and drawers. The November 2024 raids in the UK were part of Operation Pulka, an international effort to tackle orga- nized wildlife crime, specifically the taking, possessing and trading of wild birds’ eggs. The raids began in June 2023 in Norway, and resulted in 16 arrests and the seizure of 50,000 eggs. In Australia, an estimated 3,500 eggs have been seized, worth up to AUD 500,000 (GBP 250,000). Intelligence suggests this is a single, international crime network. Egg collecting was a hobby for nat- ural historians in Victorian times, with col- lectors looking to acquire eggs from all species, particularly rare ones. This had a terrible impact on some species—the great auk was hunted to extinction for its meat and large eggs, with the UK’s last bird killed in the 1840s in St Kilda, Scotland. Most wild egg collecting is a criminal act in the UK since 1954, and all wild birds, including their nests and eggs, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Source: The Guardian (2024) theguardian. com/environment/2024/dec/30/police- seize-6000-wild-birds-eggs-as-raids-net- largest-haul-in-uk-history
Wolves in Europe: Bern Convention weakens protection.. . In late 2024, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention voted to lower the protec- tion status of wolves under the Convention, a decision widely criticized by conservation experts and environmental organizations. By doing so, EU Member States ignored the pleas of.300 civil society organizations, the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe and hundreds of thousands of citizens urging science-based action to promote coexistence with large carnivores. The EU already allows for the responsiblemanagementofwolves, in- cluding culling if necessary. Yet, inDecember 2023, the European Commission proposed weakening wolf protection to manage live- stock depredation, following a consultation process that is now being investigated. Wolf populations had in the past gone extinct in most partsofEurope,andweakeningtheirpro- tection could jeopardize their fragile recovery. Source: WWF (2024)
wwf.eu/?16132891/ Nature-under-attack-Bern-Convention- weakens-wolf-protection
.. . but rewilding lays foundations for Iberian wolf comeback in Portugal Once widespread across Portugal, the Iberian wolf population has decreased sig- nificantly in size and range because of habi- tat loss, persecution and a lack of wild prey. There are currently c. 250–300 Iberian wolves in Portugal. Most are found north of the Douro River, in a relatively stable subpopulation. The remainder, c. 14%, in- habit areas south of the river. These animals are in a more precarious position, distribu- ted across a handful of scattered, discon- nected packs. For many years, rewilding efforts focused on supporting these scat- tered packs have worked to improve con- nectivity, with the aim of supporting population recovery and genetic exchange with other wolf populations across the bor- der in Spain. Rewilding Portugal and local partners have provided 108 livestock guard- ing dogs and 52 wolf-proof fences to local livestock owners. Additionally, measures such as the creation of permanent pastures, facilitating the natural regeneration of woodland, and construction of ponds, mean roe deer populations have increased. These efforts to restore landscapes and promote coexistence with people are be- ginning to yield encouraging results, rep- resenting a first step towards enabling the comeback of the Iberian wolf in areas of Portugal where it is clinging on. Source: Rewilding Portugal (2024)
rewilding-portugal.com/news/rewilding- efforts-lay-foundations-for-iberian-wolf- comeback-in-portugal
Glimmer of hope for UK water voles Areport fromThe Wildlife Trusts identifies continued declines in overall water vole po- pulations in the UK, but increases in areas where conservation efforts have been focused. The report examines water vole distribution over 10 years by analysing the number of 10 km grid squares across the country where water voles are present. Statistics show the overall water vole range is declining: a 39% decrease in the number of areas occupied by water voles compared to the 2006 baseline. However, when the data are examined more closely, encour- aging trends emerge. The project also looks at the concentration of water voles and has found that whilst the national pic- ture is one of overall decline, some impor- tant local pockets of water vole populations have been increasing, with 11 new regional key areas identified in recent years. This in- cludes areas where conservation work has been undertaken to support the species’ re- turn, such as Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and East Anglia. Source: The Wildlife Trusts (2024)
wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-report-hope- for-water-voles
Keeping big cats is trending amongst organized criminals in Albania Across the Balkans, large felids such as lions and tigers have become the ultimate sym- bols of power among criminals and influen- cers, for whom their dangerous nature, exclusivity and high price are indicators of success. For individuals, keeping such ani- mals is illegal; official and legal ownership is restricted to zoos, wildlife parks and ap- proved institutions with special permits. But this has not stopped high-profile individuals in Albania and neighbouring countries from obtaining lions and flaunt- ing them on their social media feeds. Estimates suggest there are up to 90 lions being kept illegally by private owners in Albania, which were probably bred in cap- tivity in Albania, Serbia or nearby North Macedonia. The trend of owning exotic big cats, inspired by Middle Eastern elites, appears to be growing despite the high costs of obtaining and maintaining these animals. Many of the lions and tigers suffer from malnutrition and inbreeding-related health issues. Enforcement of animal protec- tion laws remains weak because of corrup- tion and resource constraints. As a result, the exotic pet trade continues to thrive, with cases of abandoned or escaped lions becoming more frequent across the region. Source: New Lines (2024) newlinesmag. com/reportage/in-albania-keeping-big- cats-is-the-latest-fad-for-organized-crime
Oryx, 2024, 58(6), 683–688 © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605325000195
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