ANA MARIA BARBU

Among specialists, the discovery raises concerns. They say it could mean the beginning of the decline of the wolf species in Romania. The situation has arisen as a result of the increasing number of stray dogs in the forests - which, according to environmental organizations' estimates, may have reached 350,000.

The wolf-dog hybrid was identified in the eastern part of the Făgăraș Mountains, alongside 47 wolves, who mostly live in six packs. The animal is the first of its kind confirmed, following DNA analyses, in Romania.

The discovery was made through a genetic monitoring study conducted over an area of 1,400 square kilometers. Urine samples collected from snow, feces and hair strands from wolves were analyzed for three years.

Cristian Remus-Papp, Manager of the Wildlife Department at WWF Romania: "Certain genes transmitted from dogs could facilitate a much greater closeness of these hybrid wolves to humans, meaning that this ancestral fear of humans could disappear".

An explanation for the appearance of the wolf-dog hybrid would be the increasing presence of stray dogs in the wolf habitat.

During the research, monitoring cameras placed in the forests identified a dog for every 3 appearances of a wolf.

Iosif Ruben, Fauna Monitoring Department, Conservation Carpathia: "Year after year, we have observed a considerable dynamic shift among reproductive individuals, specifically at the level of alpha males and females. This poses a question mark and a potential threat to these wolf packs".

According to estimates, there are approximately 3,000 wolves throughout Romania. The appearance of wolf-dog hybrids in the future could lead to the disappearance of wolves from Romania's forests, say the authors of the research, and the effects could be dangerous.

Wolves generally hunt herbivorous animals, such as deer, roe deer or wild boars, and in their absence, these animals can affect forest regeneration through intensive grazing.