LIFE WILD WOLF at the Wolves Across Borders Conference

The LIFE WILD WOLF project was presented at the Wolves Across Borders Conference in June in Lunteren, the Netherlands, with a keynote speech delivered by project coordinator Valeria Salvatori. The presentation focused on the definitions of wolf behaviours and highlighted the challenges associated with their classification.

Particular emphasis was placed on the concept of risk related to negative interactions with humans, and on the idea of undesired behaviour—rather than attaching value judgements to wolf behaviour.

The Wolves Across Borders Conference is an international platform dedicated to dialogue and knowledge exchange on wolf ecology, management, and coexistence. Bringing together researchers, managers, NGOs, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the globe, it addresses the complexity of managing wolf populations that span cultural, political, and national boundaries.

As part of the event, project partners also organised a workshop on the management of wolves showing habituated or bold behaviour. The session was attended by around 60 participants and began with a reminder of the definitions of different behaviours, the escalation of risk levels linked to repeated wolf presence near humans, and the available options for intervention.

Participants were divided into working groups and invited to provide feedback on the draft protocol presented. Their valuable insights and comments have been incorporated into the latest draft of the guidance document for managing wolves in close proximity to humans.