Hunter creates WhatsApp group for wolf sightings in Southwest Finland after dog killed

A dog belonging to hunter Ari Alinen was killed by a wolf just over a month ago, while the owner was within hearing distance and other walkers were in the area. The incident highlighted the proximity of wolves to human activity, prompting Alinen to create a WhatsApp group in Southwest Finland where those in the forest can report wolf sightings in real-time. The group quickly gained popularity.

“It filled up within a week, so I split it into two parts and then established separate groups for each Finnish province, which have also attracted thousands of members,” Alinen explained. He noted that WhatsApp groups are limited to 2,000 members, prompting him to reach out to the app’s developers about increasing this limit. The wolf sighting groups are open to everyone, but most current members are dog owners, with information spreading rapidly among hunting circles.

Reports of wolves attacking dogs have been frequent this fall, particularly during the hunting season, when incidents are reported on average every other day. According to Jaakko Silpola, executive director of the Hunters’ Association, there hasn’t been a significant increase in the number of reported dog injuries, with 66 such cases recorded from August last year to this August.

Concerns about dog safety have led some hunters to delay moose hunting until the snow arrives, making it easier to assess where wolves may be. The number of sightings reported by those using dog trackers differs significantly from official data collected by the Natural Resources Institute Finland.

While Alinen acknowledges the presence of wolves in Finland, he is more concerned about their movements, emphasizing that real-time information could help avoid dangerous encounters, citing a recent incident where a truck driver reported a wolf sighting just before a hunter with dogs entered the area.