First Confirmed Case in Greece of a Hybrid Animal Combining Wolf and Dog

SadaNews - The Greek non-governmental organization "Callisto" concerned with wildlife announced that genetic analyses have enabled the discovery of the first confirmed case in Greece of a hybrid animal combining a wolf and a dog.

Biodiversity expert at "Callisto," Emilia Iwakimido, stated at a press conference in Athens that this is "the first confirmed genetic case in Greece."

Genetic analyses revealed that the animal, whose DNA samples were discovered near the city of Thessaloniki, is composed of 45% wolf and 55% dog. Iwakimido explained that this case was discovered during the analysis of 50 wolf samples collected from the Greek mainland, according to what was reported by "Agence France-Presse."

A recent study conducted by "Callisto" over six years indicated that the number of wolves, a species protected under the Bern Convention, has steadily increased in Greece, reaching 2,075 wolves. This number includes at least three packs, which together comprise at least 31 wolves living in Mount Parnitha, near Athens.

The organization "Callisto," headquartered in Thessaloniki, is dedicated to studying populations and habitats of large carnivores, such as wolves and bears, and working to protect them.

The organization is currently conducting a search to locate a wolf that attacked a 5-year-old Serbian girl on September 12, near the coastal resort of "Neos Marmaras" in the Halkidiki Peninsula in northern Greece.

The attack has rekindled calls to control the population of these animals in Greece, as hunters and farmers demand the right to kill them.