Hugo Moran: "There are fewer wolves than lynxes; there is a prejudice against the species."

Madrid, June 4 (EFE).- The Ministry for Ecological Transition "has just completed" data collection for the wolf census, "and the final figure shows that there are fewer wolves than lynxes in Spain," said Hugo Morán, Secretary of State for the Environment, on Wednesday.

"All administrations have implemented policies to reintroduce the lynx into their territories. The question we need to ask is why the lynx is allowed but not the wolf, given that both provide similar services," Morán said during an informative breakfast organized in Madrid by Executive Forum.

After comparing the cases of the wolf, the lynx, and the bear, the Secretary of State asserted that the former is subject to a "prejudice" that leads to "mistakes."

"Let's be aware that we're all facing the same problem. We can't choose to protect only a percentage of nature. We must protect it as a whole," he said.

The recent lynx census reports 2,401 individuals, with 1,557 adults or sub-adults and 844 cubs born in 2024, according to Ministry data.

Two months after the wolf was removed from the List of Wild Species under Protection (Lespre) for the territories north of the Duero River, several communities have finalized their plans to capture specimens. The Cantabrian government has already reported the deaths of nine animals.

Organizations opposed to the arrests have opened numerous legal proceedings.

According to the latest wolf census, conducted between 2012 and 2014, there were approximately 2,500 wolf packs in Spain, grouped into 297 packs. EFE