Originally formed in 1985, as the Wolf Society of Great Britain, Wolves and Humans is the longest-established wolf conservation organisation in the UK, and is one of the oldest in Europe.

When the Wolf Society started, wolves were still widely persecuted, and were absent or critically endangered across much of their historic range; recovery was still a long way off - reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone would not happen for another ten years The major challenge for conservation groups was to save the wolf from extinction.

Much has changed since then. Aided by increased environmental awareness, international legislation and conventions, and the work of many dedicated biologists, conservationists, and volunteers working with both governmental and non-governmental organisations, wolves were rescued from the brink and are now making a comeback.

The Wolf Society played its part in that success, working with conservation projects in Portugal, India, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Alaska and Romania, and campaigning and raising awareness on many issues where the recovery of wolves was threatened.

The seeds of what would become the Wolves and Humans Foundation were sown at the World Wolf Congress, held in Banff, Canada, in the autumn of 2003. A theme developed through many of the presentations; a celebration of the success of wolf recovery around the world, but also recognition of new and different conservation challenges ahead. The biggest of these being learning how to live with new and expanding wolf populations and avoid a repeat of past mistakes that led to wolves being eradicated in the first place.

In response to these new challenges, and to reflect the fact that wildlife conservation in the 21st century is as much about people as animals, the Wolf Society of Great Britain was renamed Wolves and Humans, and a new registered charity, the Wolves and Humans Foundation, was launched in 2005. As funding for, and awareness of wolf conservation in Europe is much lower than in the USA, it was decided to focus the work of the new charity in Europe, and also to include bears and lynx, as they occupy much of the same range as wolves, and face many of the same threats to their survival.

Our aims

Through practical conservation measures, research and education, Wolves and Humans is working to secure the long-term conservation of wolves, bears and lynx and the natural environment in which they live, for the benefit of the general public and future generations, as promoted by the 1992 European Community Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention.

The stated aims of the Wolves and Humans Foundation are:

a) To advance for the benefit of the public, research, education and training in methods of managing conflict between wolves (and other large carnivores) and agriculture and other human interests.

b) To provide and advance education about wolves (and other large carnivores) to the general public, and to promote, support and advance the scientific study of wolves and other large carnivores.