Finland has opened its second sanctioned wolf hunt in what authorities say is an attempt to manage numbers and curb poaching.
Despite the wolf being listed as an endangered species in Finland, legislation allows legal hunting of the species in certain reindeer herding areas, which encompass about one third of the country.
Finland's Wildlife Agency has given the go-ahead for a new nation-wide cull beginning on Saturday, which authorizes the killing of 46 wolves.
Meanwhile, environmentalists have protested, arguing the cull may destroy the genetic diversity of packs.
The cull is intended to protect livestock and prevent wolves from wandering into residential areas. It's set to end on 21 of February.
The Finnish Natural Resources Institute estimates there are 220 to 245 wolves in Finland. But animal rights group and environmentalists have opposed the cull saying it's unnecessary and unscientific.
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