Wolves seen near Helsinki

Wolves were seen in the Sotunki District of the southern city of Vantaa, just north of Helsinki on Tuesday morning. The beasts were observed in the vicinity of populated areas by three people. One of the observers counted three individual animals.
      Executive director Martti Palokas of the Vantaa Game Management Association verified the animals' footprints on Tuesday.
      "The imprint is around ten centimetres long and seven centimetres wide. The nail mark typical to wolves is also clearly visible in some of the imprints left on the field", Palokas lists.
      "Some smaller imprints were also found, which indicates that the pack consists of individuals of various sizes", Palokas adds.
      The wolves were first seen on Sunday evening. "What is remarkable is that they were seen in the middle of a densely populated area. The animals were possibly heading west and simply could not immediately find a route through the settled area", Palokas ponders.
      The wolves were seen in the vicinity of streets of Tuliniementie, Nurmitie, and Solatie.
      According to Reijo Orava of the Uusimaa Game Management District, a record number of wolf sightings have been made in the southern Province of Uusimaa this past summer and autumn. "Presumably they are young individuals separated from their packs in eastern Finland, who are now looking for a territory of their own", Orava believes.
      "Wolves travel fast. So far, there is no evidence that these individuals would have decided to settle in Uusimaa permanently."
      Sotunki's previous wolf sighting was made at the beginning of July, when a lone wolf was seen to approach from the direction of Sipoonkorpi and go and investigate a nearby sheepfold.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Five wolves shot in Kainuu Province (27.11.2006)

Links:
  Uusimaa Game Management District