Protected Wolf Walking 1,000 Miles Across Europe Killed by Hunters: Police

A 2-year-old wolf that walked over 1,000 miles across Europe was shot by hunters in Hungary, police report.

Three months after the animal was killed, two men have been arrested on suspicion of harming nature and abusing firearms. The wolf, known as M237, was born in 2021 in Graubünden, Switzerland. He was fitted with a GPS collar by the Graubünden Canton Hunting and Fishing Agency the following year, and in June 2022 he began his mammoth migration.

"The young wolf passed through four countries on its journey," the conservation nonprofit Wolf Switzerland said in a Facebook post. "Having started in Switzerland, he crossed the border into Italy...and then into Austria. The young wolf then hiked up to the Danube, then changed his mind and moved away to the southeast. In mid-February he crossed the Hungarian border and then headed towards Budapest."

Wolves are a protected species in Europe after being driven almost to extinction by humans in the 19th and 20th centuries. Thanks to conservation efforts, their populations are beginning to recover, with 12,000 individuals now documented across the continent, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). However, their comeback has not been entirely well received because of misconceptions and fear of these animals.

M237's journey is the longest documented migration of any wolf in Europe. "[It] exemplifies how adaptable wolves are," Wolf Switzerland said. "On his hike he crossed different landscapes, from high mountains to cultural landscapes to settlement areas. He crossed rivers, numerous highways and railways and many mountains, one of which was almost 3500 meters [11,500 feet] high."

However, in April 2023 his tracker fell silent. Officials suspected foul play and an investigation was called by the Environmental Crime Sub-Department of the Hungarian National Investigation Bureau.

During the investigation, M237's tracker was discovered in the Hernád River, which had most likely been thrown off the animal when he was shot. In the early hours of August 2, the Hungarian police arrested two men from the village of Szabolcs.

Illegal culling of highly protected species, like this one, can be punished with three years of imprisonment, according to the WWF's Hungarian branch.

"The nature protection authority may also impose fines on the perpetrators, which can be a magnitude order of millions," the branch said in a Facebook post. "Because the wolf was reportedly shot by one of the perpetrators' 9-year-old children, the perpetrator is also suspected of endangering a minor."

Dávid Sütő, the large carnivore project manager at WWF Hungary, said, "Cases like this illustrate well that sharing our landscapes with large carnivores still poses serious challenges. Managing human-wildlife conflict towards coexistence is one of the main solutions to cut down wildlife crimes."