Amid concerns about attacks on livestock or children, there is great division in Denmark over the return of wolves, despite there still being only around 40 animals in the country.
After centuries of near extinction, European wolves have made a return remarkable. In the last decade, wolf populations have increased exponentially, almost 60%. In 2022, more than 21,500 wolves were recorded across the continent.
Countries that didn’t have wolves for a long time now have them thriving packs. Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Romania have more than 1000 wolves each. For scientists, this is a rare conservation success story: a large predator recovering landscapes dominated by human activity.
In Denmark, the return was more modest. Wolves disappeared from Danish forests in 1813, when they were hunted to extinction – remembered only in stories and fairy tales. Then, in 2012, a lone male wolf crossed the border from Germany into Jutland, the Danish peninsula that borders Germany. Other wolves followed. In 2017, Denmark celebrated its first breeding pack confirmed in more than 200 years.
Currently, it is estimated that the wolf population in Denmark is just over 40 wolveswith at least seven breeding pairs known to have had offspring.
However, even this small number has sparked heated debates about livestock farming and public safety in one of the most heavily agriculturally exploited countries in Europe, with views on wolves appearing to reflect wider political divisions in Denmark.
The EU recently lowered the protection status of wolveschanging them from “strictly protected” to simply “protected”. This change makes it easier for Member States.
Earlier this spring, the Danish government announced that “problem wolves” can be legally killed if they repeatedly stray into cities or towns. attack livestock behind fences of security. And the first legal license to kill a wolf guilty of multiple attacks was granted in September.
Experts have already suggested that the mysteriously high death rates and “disappearance” of wolves are likely the reason result of illegal hunting. And conservationists fear that quotas could be introduced on wolf numbers, as is the case in neighboring Sweden.
This summer, a question about wolves was included in a YouGov climate and environment poll. He was asked: “Do you agree with the statement that the reproduction of wolf packs is beneficial for Danish nature?”
Of the 2172 respondents, 43% disagreed, 30% agreed and 27% were neutral or undecided. Breaking down the results by policy reveals clear patterns. Supporters of left-wing and green parties were the most positive, with almost 45% agreeing that the wolves are good for nature. Right-wing voters were much more skeptical, with almost half of the supporters of the new right-wing parties completely disagreeing. Even many social democratic voters (generally considered center-left) leaned toward dissent, showing how this issue fit into traditional political divisions.
Residents of Copenhagen and other large cities were slightly more optimistic about the return of wolves than those in smaller cities or rural areas, but attitudes remained mixed across the board. Living in the country does not automatically make someone skeptical of wolves, nor does city life guarantee support.
Age, however, was the strongest indicator of support. Young Danes (18–34) showed overwhelming support, with more than 50% agree that wolves benefit nature. However, support steadily declines with age, with the majority of people over 55 – and almost 60% of people over 73 – expressing complete disagreement.
Wolves, myths and reality
Few animals spark the imagination like wolves. Appear as villains in fairy talessacred protectors and also as harbingers of the apocalypse in Norse myths, and ecological superheroes in biology textbooks. Some wolves have become intimately involved with humans as “man’s best friend”, while others have become our worst enemies – see the big bad wolf.
Conservationists call wolves “keystone species.” This means that, as naturally control deer numbers and other prey, their presence can allow the recovery of forests and pastures. Yellowstone Park in the USA is a prime example: after the reintroduction of wolves, aspens and willows flourished for the first time in decades.
But Denmark is not Yellowstone. Its rural landscape is a patchwork of farms, towns and highways with small, highly managed nature reserves. Whether wolves can restore the “wild balance” here is uncertain – and the Danes’ views reflect that uncertainty. In fact, for some farmers and rural residents, wolves are not symbols of reintroduction into the wild – they are real predatorsthreatening livestock and livelihoods.
Fear also plays a role: parents care about children walking in the forest and dog owners worry about their pets. Statistically, wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare, but perception often outweighs the facts.
Incidents in neighboring countries could add to the discomfort. Earlier this year, a wolf attacked a six-year-old boy in the Netherlands. And in Denmark this summer, two boys spent hours up in a tree after thinking an “aggressive wolf” was nearby. The story made headlines, only to discover that the animal was, in fact, a large feline. It’s a reminder of how quickly fear spreads, whether the danger is real or not.
The findings suggest that fears and myths about wolves are not mere folklore. They are expressed in real attitudes, reflecting deeply rooted cultural values and identities.
Wolves have come to represent much more than just wildlife. They are powerful symbols of environmental ideals and social perspectives – with attitudes towards them shaped less by geography and more by political beliefs and generational perspectives. For policymakers and conservationists, understanding these perceptions is essential to navigating the delicate balance between species recovery and public acceptance.
