UK Wolf Conservation Trust
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| UK Wolf Conservation Trust | |
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| Founder(s) | Roger Palmer[1] |
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| Type | Non-profit |
| Founded | May, 1995 Beenham, England |
| Headquarters | Beenham, England |
| Area served | Europe |
| Focus | Conservation |
| Method | Education, supporting conservation projects |
| Slogan | Working to keep wolves in the wild |
| Website | ukwolf.org |
The UK Wolf Conservation Trust is a non-profit organisation based in Berkshire, England. Its aims are to dispel the myths and misconceptions surrounding wolves, as well as supporting those still in the wild elsewhere in Europe.
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[edit] History
Roger Palmer, a businessman and founder of the UKWCT, visited Alaska in the 1970s. He encountered wolves for the first time and upon his return to the UK decided to acquire a wolf himself. Roger kept wolves into the mid 1990s and, encouraged by Erich Klinghammer, an ethologist, founded the UK Wolf Conservation Trust in 1995.
[edit] Activities of the UKWCT
The UKWCT keeps a number of ambassador wolves, currently nine socialised wolves split into three packs.[2] The wolves visit county shows and other events in the summer, using a mobile enclosure. The wolves are taken for walks in local woodland[3] most weekends, usually with members of the UKWCT accompanying them. The idea is to allow people to see wolves in a different light to the experience seen at most zoos, which generally don't socialise their animals.
Education is a major part of the UKWCT's ethos and they hold regular seminars, with biologists and other speakers giving talks about wolves and current conservation work. The UKWCT's magazine[4], WolfPrint, attracts contributions from those involved with wolf conservation and reports on current events in the wolf world.
[edit] The UKWCT's achievements
In 1998 the UKWCT imported three European wolves from eastern Europe and in 1999 they gave birth to six pups. This was reported[5] to be the first birth of European wolves in the UK since they were driven to extinction in the 18th century. Since their relocation to Wildwood in Kent, the imported wolves had several further litters.
Projects supported by the UKWCT include helping to buy livestock guardian dogs for Bulgarian shepherds, as well as supporting wolf research and education in the Tver region of Russia and also in Croatia. The UKWCT aims to broaden their support to other European wolf conservation projects in the near future.
