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The wolf howls again in Catalunya: first stable pair and up to 11 confirmed individuals
Almost a century after being declared extinct, the wolf is making a comeback in Catalunya.
According to official 2024 data, six specimens — five males and one female — have been genetically identified, and the population is estimated to be able to reach between 10 and 11 individuals in total, an unprecedented figure since their return in the late 1990s.
The major new development is the first stable pair detected in Alt Empordà: a female wolf identified in Cistella through genetic analysis has been seen repeatedly alongside a male in the same area. Although no pups have yet been observed, experts do not rule out the possibility that the first documented breeding in Catalan territory could take place soon.
The animals have been located mainly in the north, in counties such as Alta Ribagorça, Alt Urgell, Solsonès, Ripollès, Garrotxa, Cerdanya and Osona. The Generalitat stresses that some specimens show territorial fidelity, a sign of settlement compared with the wandering behaviour of the first wolves arriving from Italy and France.
The administration will shortly present the livestock-prevention and compensation measures included in the new 2025 Wolf Management Support Programme, a further step towards making the recovery of this emblematic species compatible with rural activity.