By Europe correspondent Philip Williams
Environment officials from the European Union are preparing to prosecute the Swedish government after it again allowed the hunting of wild and endangered wolves.
Conservationists say there are only 200 wolves left in the wild in Sweden, and this season's quota of 20 animals has been half filled in the first day of hunting.
While the EU and local conservationists say it is an illegal and illogical slaughter, hunters argue the kill is all about ensuring the wolves' survival.
Swedish ecotourist guide Anders Stahl says wolves are a vital part of the natural order, and the real threat comes from hunters encouraged by a government that gives a licence to kill.
"How can you conserve numbers if you hunt them? For me that's illogical," he said.
"Lots of people don't hunt them and have more of a naturalist way of looking at the wolves. For me, as a naturalist and ecotourism guide, for me it's a problem if there aren't any wolves."
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| Henrik Widlund looks out during the wolf hunt in Hasselforsreviret, central Sweden (Reuters: Anders Wiklund) |
"We sent a letter to the Swedish minister in December pointing out our interpretation of the law," he said.
"And we left Sweden in no doubt that if they did go ahead with the licensed hunt that we would have to open formal proceedings against them."
'We know every wolf'
About 6,000 hunters signed up to try to kill just 20 wolves.
The spokesman for the Swedish Hunters Association, Daniel Lidne, says far from destroying the animals, the hunters are the true conservationists.
"Basically what we're trying to do is that we try to save the wolf with hunting," he said.
"I know it seems to be contradictory but still we have this inbreeding problem, and to be able to bring in new genes and new wolves we have to make room for them and remove some of the inbred wolves."
Mr Lidne says he does not think the EU knows how well Sweden monitors the wolves and the hunts.
"They haven't understood that we have total control of the wolves in Sweden," he said.
"We know every wolf. We have a name and number on all the adult wolves in our country, and this is almost like a zoo in the wild."
Swedish animal rights activists have tried to disrupt the hunt by going into the forest with firecrackers to frighten the wolves away.
Some fear that Sweden's reputation as an ecologically responsible nation is also being driven to extinction.
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