THOUSANDS of demonstrators gathered in Madrid today (Sunday) calling for laws to protect the Iberian wolf, an endangered species unique to Spain and Portugal.
Ecologists in Action, the WWF, European Alliance for Wolf Conservation and the group Lobo Marley ('Marley the Wolf') were behind the march, which was headed up by Rocco, a domesticated wolf walking on a lead, complete with his 'entourage' of another seven dogs who are part-wolf.
Around 3,000 people clamoured for the Iberian wolf to be included in Spain's list of specially-protected species throughout the whole of the country.
They marched from Atocha station to the central Puerta del Sol square.
Wildlife experts have shown that wolves, in the wild, do not need to be a threat to sheep, meaning they have no need to be shot by farmers if they take the right measures.
Last year, however, a quota was even set in parts of northern and north-western Spain for the maximum number of wolves allowed to be hunted, despite their being endangered.
If wolves manage to cross over the borders into France or Portugal, however, they are safe, because both countries ban anyone from killing or maiming them.
They are protected across the whole of Europe, except a small part of Greece and to the north of the Duero river in Spain, by the directive known as 'Habitat', explains Luis Suárez of the WWF.
“This shows that the population can be controlled and managed in accordance with the law,” he says.
“Parliament already approved protection measures for the Iberian wolf some time ago, and we need to demand that the government ensures they are complied with,” says co-spokesman for the left-wing political party Equo, Juantxo López de Uralde.
