The Autonomous University of Barcelona announced yesterday that researchers have tracked the journey of a German-born gray wolf that crossed three countries to reach northeastern Spain, marking the longest documented journey ever for this species of wolf. The male wolf, named GW 1909M, traveled at least 1240 kilometers from its birthplace in Nordhorn, Lower Saxony, before crossing into France and seemingly settling near a village in the Catalan Pyrenees, where it was last spotted in February 2023.
The previous longest recorded journey for a wolf was 1092 kilometers between Norway and Finland. Molecular genetics laboratories in Germany, France, and Catalonia participated in analyzing the wolf's droppings, which contained a genetic marker found in Central European wolf populations, to ascertain its extensive journey. In Spain, the droppings were discovered by specialized police dogs that assist forest experts in monitoring wolf populations.
Scientists believe that long-distance journeys made by wolves are key to connecting distant wolf populations, as they help prevent genetic isolation and reduce inbreeding within a single pack.
