Sweden's big five
Sweden’s large carnivores are in immediate danger. Despite their “Strictly protected” status within the EU. Lynx, bear, wolf, and wolverine are now aggressively hunted by humans, the country’s fifth large carnivore species. Guns first, instead of preventive measures. A small minority of Swedes drive this agenda, supported by a far too willing government. The EU is now at high risk of following the same destructive path.
Why now?
In 2025, lots of lynx, wolves, bears and wolverines will be killed in Sweden, under different labels such as licensed, quota, protective and illegal hunting. Over the last 100 years, Sweden’s large carnivores came back from the brink of extinction. The government policy is now shifting to “As few carnivores as possible”. Carnivores will “legally” be hunted down to their lowest minimum viable population size or even lower. Unfortunately, the EU decided in 2025 to move the wolf from the category “strictly protected” to “protected” in the Habitats Directive. Sweden has been a driving force in this, and the Swedish government also decided in August 2025 that the favorable conservation status for the wolf in Sweden should be 170 wolves, down from the previous level of 300.
Why Sweden's Big Five?
Because large carnivores are irreplaceable in nature. They play a vital top-down role in naturally working ecosystems. Carnivores are icons of our natural history and heritage. Charismatic animals that bring many more opportunities than challenges. Sweden’s Big Five is a project aiming to provide news, facts, story ideas, images, and videos, to decision makers and media professionals. Showing ways how to live side by side with our large carnivores, instead of randomly founded killing quotas.
Important carnivore news dates
Fresh from the field
Podcast well worth listening to
250,000 Swedish kronor reward for tips on illegal hunting of large predators
124 swedish bears shot on the first day of hunting
Sweden prepares for another major bear hunt
EU Court ruling confirm flaws in Sweden’s wolf policy
Striking visuals for media professionals
Big Five Facts
Meet Sweden’s large carnivores
Bear
A gentle giant, feeding on ants, berries, leaves, meat, carrion or garbage. Bears are becoming valuable assets for wildlife tourism.
Living side by side
These five carnivores have lived in Scandinavia since the Ice age. We explore the many solutions to make co-existence possible today.
Striking visuals for media professionals
Narratives waiting to be told
Keeping sheep in, predators out
Follow volunteers that help farmers to much better protect their livestock against wolf and lynx.
Trophy hunting of lynx
The questionable licensed lynx hunt starts March 1 in Sweden. A quota of 143 lynx were ”legally” killed in 2024, and 87 lynx in 2025.
Carnivores as money makers
Examples from Sweden and Finland where large carnivores bring business and new job opportunities.
Lynx hunt reported to the EU
Sweden’s excessive lynx hunt was recently reported to the EU Commission. A formal complaint was lodged on March 15, 2024.
Swedes like large carnivores
There is a massive support for the existence of large carnivores in Sweden, according to the latest official attitude survey.
Europe’s environmental bad boy?
It took Sweden’s large carnivores over 50 years to come back. The country is now drastically bringing down their numbers from 300 to 170.
Testimonials
Voices about Sweden’s large carnivores
“Sweden’s Big Five” is a carnivore protection project that provides news, facts, reports, links, story ideas, photos and videos for possible download, under certain conditions. We support media professionals, influencers and decision makers who want to learn more and tell others about the facts around our five large carnivores in Sweden: lynx, wolf, bear, wolverine and human.
“Sweden’s Big Five” is run by the Wild Wonders Foundation, in collaboration with the Swedish Carnivore Association and WWI, with support from the Sigrid Rausing Trust, The Canoe Trip and Butterfly Foundation.
