Living with Spain's wilder side: Wolves, raptors and Quixote's wild boar

2009 has been one of the worst in a decade for forest fires in Spain, destroying over 10,000 hectares of wild forest land, with a resultant effect on the wildlife population. But we know comparatively little about the native species that have been affected on the Iberian Peninsula, since wildlife tends to increase in areas depopulated by humans. It is only our absence that allows many species to flourish. If it were not for some dedicated wildlife experts who have studied rural areas in Spain, we would be unaware that the Iberian wolf had made a comeback from near extinction to over 2,000 individuals, that more than 15 types of raptor are flourishing, and that wild boar (which became extinct through over hunting in Great Britain in the 17th century) are abundant, even near the populated suburbs of Madrid.

The depopulation of rural areas in Spain is however also responsible for some of the worst forest fires being allowed to rage unchecked. As villages with declining native populations are being re-invigorated by foreign inhabitants, an awareness of their human effect on local species must be considered.

What can we do to balance our presence with that of local wildlife?

For an example of the beneficial effects of wildlife campaigns look no further than the midnight howls of the Iberian wolf, which now range across much of Spain's rural northwest after decades as an endangered species in remote mountain ranges. But this success story celebrated by conservationists was muted by complaints from Spanish livestock breeders until an old tradition reared its head. Breeders have turned to Mastiff guard dogs to keep their herds safe. The smell of the powerful dog is often enough to keep wolves at bay and deter packs from territories too close to humans and their farms.

The ban in the 1980s on hunting or poisoning of the Iberian wolves, coupled with the more recent abandonment of rural lands, has led them back to territories their kind once called home. Now the Iberian wolf population is slowly recovering from its 1970 low of 400-500 odd individuals with latest figures estimated at as many as 2,000-2,500 in Spain, almost 30% of European wolf numbers outside of the Russian Federation.

From being considered a pest in Spain, and a sign of the country's lack of civilization, the wolf is now beginning to be appreciated as a draw to tourists. Unfortunately, hunting wolves legally has made a comeback too, although most hunts tend to end in failure. The Iberian wolf with its distinctive black markings along jowls, back and tail is currently being considered as a sub-species of the traditional wolf or Canis Lupus which will give it specialist status for conservation.

Another threat to the Iberian wolf (Canis Lupis Signatus) is in-breeding with the thousands of wild dogs that roam loose in rural areas, although the idea that this could generate a wolf-dog hybrid has not been studied in depth. Feral dogs cause far more damage than wild wolves to Spanish flocks and herds. An estimated 87,000 dogs were abandoned in Spain in 2003, and packs can often be seen roaming the edge of villages to scavenge food or diminish resident cat populations. By contrast the fear of wolves is more prominent. In 2000, Asturian sheep farmers put in more compensation claims for sheep killed by wolves than there were sheep in the province.

By allowing prey species such as roe deer and chamois to increase unchecked by hunting, wolf packs can be sustained in balance with human populations. Promoting tolerance for the wolf through educational programmes, reducing tensions between farmers and conservationists, and the swift payment of compensation by the authorities for livestock killed may all provide a stay of execution for this wild predator.

A change in attitudes to local species is always slow, but you only need to cross central or northern Spain to appreciate the immen