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Giorgos Lialios
09.05.2025 • 11:00
A Greek prosecutor has ordered the removal of wolves from Mount Parnitha National Park near Athens and their relocation to northern Greece – a decision that has shocked scientists and conservationists, who warn it is both ecologically damaging and logistically unworkable.
The directive, issued about ten days ago by the prosecutor for animal protection, instructs the Parnitha forestry service to capture the wolves and transport them to another region. Authorities, caught off guard, are now scrambling to determine how to carry out the order.
“We were all surprised, as there was no prior indication of a problem,” said Efstathios Stathopoulos, Greece’s secretary general for forests. Two meetings were held in response – one broader in scope, involving the forestry service, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA), and the Hunting Federation – to explore possible implementation strategies.
The plan has drawn strong criticism from the scientific community. “It’s a very simplistic approach – like saying, ‘let’s get rid of the bad wolves eating the cute deer’,” said Giorgos Kokkoris, associate professor of ecology at the University of the Aegean. “The intent may be well-meaning, but the order is clearly unscientific. Wolves are apex predators and play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance,” he said, citing the example of Yellowstone National Park in the United States, where reintroducing wolves had widespread positive effects on the ecosystem.
Giorgos Iliopoulos, a biologist and wolf expert with the NGO Callisto, said removing the animals could reverse years of natural recovery. “A decade ago, the deer population in Parnitha had increased significantly and was inhibiting fir regeneration,” he said. “Wolves helped restore ecological balance. This decision is flawed both in principle and in procedure.”
Iliopoulos estimated the current wolf population in Parnitha at around 50, making capture a complex task. “You’d need the kind of personnel and resources found in large US national parks. And even if removed, wolves would likely recolonize the area within two years.”
Despite the objections, authorities are required to act. OFYPEKA has commissioned two urgent studies – one to assess the wolf population and another to explore potential relocation sites. The forestry department has been assigned to lead the capture effort.
“There is no precedent, so there’s a lack of technical knowledge,” said Stathopoulos. “And safely capturing the wolves will be anything but easy.”