HELSINKI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The number of wolves in Finland is increasing some 10 percent annually, surveys of the Finnish natural resources authority Luke indicated on Thursday.
Professor Ilpo Kojola from Luke told newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet that there are now 16 flocks of wolves in western Finland, a double from last year. "The development is fast as the wolves came back to the west only 15 years ago," he said.
Wolves have been making news recently as they are now commonly seen in the coastal areas of western Finland. The reason for the migration is possibly the fact that there are more elks and deer to eat in western Finland than in the eastern part these days, local media said.
Late last year, a wolf entered the backyard of a family home in Pyharanta, western Finland, where a child was playing. As a result, the municipality started arranging school transport for all pupils.
An investigation revealed later two wolves ran around in an unhurried way and were not afraid of people.
The wolves are protected and licenses to kill one are currently restricted to 53 per year. Killing without a license is criminal. In Nousiainen, near Turku, a man got half-a-year imprisonment on probation for killing a wolf last year.
The ministry of agriculture pays compensation for wolf damages, such as the loss of a dog.
Traditionally, there is a strong fear of wolves in Finnish public. The last confirmed killing of a human was a girl near Turku in 1882. In the 19th century, at least 77 persons lost their lives in wolf attacks in all.
Legends about struggle with wolves have existed in Finnish folklore, in a way second only to war memories. The last wolf attack survivor lived in Salo until 1960 and a statue was erected in her memory in the 1990s.
Authorities have published instructions advising "a calm disengagement" if meeting a wolf. Screaming may scare away a wolf as well, even when the animal has already bitten, the instructions say.
