“Suspected breeding with illegal wolf hybrids”
“Several people in Dalarna and Värmland, have been notified suspected to have imported and bred wolf hybrids.”
“It is very unusual, I have not been through it before,” says Benny Beutelrock, the investigating authority at the National operations department (Noa).”
“A report came in from the county administrative board in Dalarna last year and the police are investigating now if the persons have been guilty of artskyddsbrott.”
“– this is jätteovanligt. We have had this group for three years and it is the first time that we come in contact with suspects, wolf hybrids, ” says Benny Beutelrock, the investigating authority at the artskydds and kulturarvsbrottsgruppen on Noah.”
“To breed wolf hybrids is illegal in Sweden. It is also prohibited for sale in any way indicate that a dog would be particularly closely related to a wolf, or otherwise look or behave like a predator.”
“– It is regulated so that you should not go in and interfere with the natural trunk, it is about protecting the wild species, ” says Benny Beutelrock.”
“According to Beutelrock it is unlikely that it is a cross with a Swedish wolf population. If it would be a varghybrid it moves with great probability of a north american.”
“wolf hybrids can in some cases be allowed in Sweden, but then, during the last four generations to be free from wild animals. In Sweden, it is illegal to have other predators than dogs, cats, badgers, and domestic ferrets as pets.”
“Mikael Åkesson who is doing research on the wolf at the Swedish University of agricultural sciences says that you know very little about the behavior of wolf hybrids, or what effect they have on wild vargpopulationer.”
“– we know very little how a varghybrid behave in the wild, nor if they would be more likely to attack people. There is little research on this, ” says Mikael Åkesson.”
“wolf hybrids do not occur only on breeding, but it is done sometimes even spontaneously in the wild, which you’ve seen examples around in Europe and north America. In Scandinavia, attention was it by 2017, in the counties of Södermanland, then a vargtik got a litter with a dog.”
“Dog and wolf have a lot in common, and the genetic differences are very small.”
“– the Dog was domesticated for around 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, then they have been bred to serve our purposes, ” says Mikael Åkesson.”
“Right now, it is at the prosecutor’s table how the investigation will continue.”
“– is Determined that we shall continue with the investigation, so you have to do a dna test to find out if it is a hybrid and in this case, in which generation it is, ” says Benny Beutelrock.”
“In Sweden is governed artskyddsbrott in the environmental code and the species protection ordinance.”
“Artskyddsbrott means that you violate any of the rules and regulations for the protection of wild animals and plants. For example, it may be about to harm protected animals or plants in the Swedish countryside. It can also relate to the import, purchase or sell any such species which are protected under the law.”
“A varghybrid is a cross between a wolf and dog. Varghybriderna Saarloos Wolfhond and Czech wolfhound are two hybrids that can be legal in Sweden, if they are more than four generations from a wild species.”
“wolf hybrids are living wild in several places in the world, including in Russia.”
“Source: the Police, the Swedish board of Agriculture and the environmental protection agency.”