New wolf packs are growing in Graubünden, Valais and Vaud

As had been suspected for some time, a new wolf pack has formed in the catchment area of the Vorderrhein in Graubünden. The new pack has been named the Stagias pack. The first confirmation came from near Sedrun.

The strong wolf presence around Sedrun and Disentis had long suggested that another wolf pack would form in this region. This assumption has now been confirmed. Three juvenile animals have been observed so far. The territory of the new pack covers the Sursassiala area, spanning the municipal territories of Tujetsch, Disentis/Muster and Medel (Lucmagn). With this new pack, six packs with ranges in the canton of Graubünden are now confirmed, including the Morobbia pack on the cantonal border with Ticino.

Known wolf packs also with offspring

On the Heinzenberg, around the Glaspass, both sheep herders and the wildlife wardens of the Office for Hunting and Fishing of the canton of Graubünden were able to hear wolf pup calls on several occasions. This confirms the assumption of reproduction within the Beverin pack. However, the exact number of pups has not yet been determined.

On an alpine pasture on the northern side of Ilanz, wildlife wardens were able to observe two adult wolves with five young wolves. Their location suggests that these belong to the Ringelspitz pack. Although the animals could be observed over an extended period of time, it cannot be ruled out that more than five pups belong to the pack.

In Obersaxen too, there were indications that the Valgronda pack has again produced offspring this year. Here as well, no information on the number of pups can yet be provided.

Further observations of pups to be expected

There is still no information about offspring in the Calanda pack. It remains unclear whether new lead animals have taken over the pack and whether they have produced offspring. It is also not yet known whether new pack formations with offspring have occurred in other regions of the canton of Graubünden. The return of the predators is a central building block for a functioning ecosystem.

Update 5.8.2020

In the upper Albula Valley, the wildlife wardens were able to confirm a new wolf pack with at least six pups at the beginning of August. With this new wolf pack, there are now seven wolf packs living predominantly on Graubünden territory.

Wolf packs in Valais

In Valais, a female wolf gave birth to at least four pups in the mountains above the municipalities of Vionnaz and Vouvry. The cantonal wildlife, hunting and fishing authority (DJFW) thereby identified a wolf pack in the Chablais area for the second time. Proof of the pack was provided by a camera trap video, as the authority announced. In June, a nursing mother was observed during surveillance.

The DJFW subsequently intensified monitoring using camera traps and acoustic devices. The photos, a video, and sound recordings provided proof of at least four young animals. The analysis confirmed that the Chablais pack had reproduced. Three adult animals are regularly present in the area. Since the beginning of the year, the Valais authorities had not been able to genetically identify any wolf in the region. However, the analysis of all images as well as on-site observations prove the reproduction of the Chablais pack and the regular presence of at least three adult wolves.

Wolf pack offspring in Vaud as well

Last week, the canton of Vaud had also reported wolf offspring. In a wolf pack in the Marchairuz region of the Vaudois Jura, at least five pups were born this spring. The wolves in this region had already produced offspring the previous year — the first time in 150 years in the canton of Vaud.

The number of wolves in Switzerland is estimated at around 80. In 2012, the first pack formed in the Calanda region in Graubünden. Since then, the animals have continued to spread. Today, experts estimate there are at least nine wolf packs in Switzerland. There is no information yet about offspring in the Calanda pack. The Geneva model shows that coexistence between humans and predators is possible without hobby hunting.