Newsletters
Greek wildlife researchers have documented the country's first genetically confirmed wolf-dog hybrid, marking a significant discovery as the nation's wolf population continues to recover from decades of hunting pressure.
The Callisto wildlife group announced Friday that DNA testing revealed an animal found near Thessaloniki contains 45 percent wolf and 55 percent domestic dog genetics. The finding emerged from analysis of 50 wolf samples collected across mainland Greece.
"This is the first genetic (case) to be confirmed in Greece," Callisto biologist Aimilia Ioakimeidou told a conference in Athens.
The discovery comes as Greece's wolf population has experienced steady growth following a 1983 hunting ban implemented under the Berne Convention. A recent six-year study conducted by Callisto documented 2,075 wolves across the country, including at least three packs totaling a minimum of 31 wolves in the Mount Parnitha range near Athens.
While wolf-dog hybrids have been reported previously in Europe, Central Asia and the United States, many earlier identifications relied solely on physical appearance rather than genetic confirmation. Subsequent DNA analysis has shown such crossbreeding occurs less frequently than initially believed.
The Thessaloniki-based organization specializes in studying and protecting large carnivores including bears and wolves. Callisto is currently involved in efforts to locate a young wolf that injured a five-year-old Serbian girl at the coastal resort of Neos Marmaras on September 12.
Ancient evolutionary bond between wolves and dogs remains subject of scientific debate
The relationship between wolves and domestic dogs traces back 15,000 to 40,000 years, when dogs evolved from relatives of the modern grey wolf. Scientific understanding of this evolutionary process has evolved, with researchers debating whether early dogs developed from wolves that scavenged around human settlements or from wolf pups deliberately raised by hunter-gatherer communities.
4 min read
