Zoo Barcelona - Iberian wolf

One of the 5 females that arrived from Montpellier

The spanish language press is full of the escape of two wolves from their enclousure at the barcelona zoo. Both females were recaptured. The fence was not high enough. Do the catalan or spanish zoochaters wish to give more info on this ?

how many iberian wolves they have in captivity around the world?

The fence is high enough and electrified, at least in the perimeter arround the path of the visitors (The zoo says that is high enough, but will revise the safety of the exhibit). I think that they escaped from the rear part of the exhibit. The press says that 2 wolves jumped the fence because they were nervious because the movement of the arrival of a new bongo (the dormitories of the bongos are in the rear part of the wolves exhibit).

Both wolves were captured (here we can find very different information of where they were found) and nobody was injured.

According to the spanish language press yet another wolf jumped the fence yesterday the first day of april, 2011. She was quickly recaptured. A nine foot electrified fence seems to be within the physical limits of these young animals. Leaping lobas ! Back to the drawing board for the exhibit, but i suppose many of us find amazement at the capacities of these lovely canids.

I imagine it is because they have not settled yet and so are seeking ways to escape the unfamiliar surroundings. Many species can achieve extreme feats of jumping/escaping when stressed, whereas once settled would no longer make the big effort necessary.

Now the wolves are in the big cats complex, using the enclosure of the Sri-Lanka leopards.

The second escape it's confirmed or it's just a joke for the fool day?

The "fool day" (April Fool's Day) in Spain is the 28th of December, so, I think it's not this kind of joke... maybe i'ts not true, but I'm sure that is not an "April Fool's Day" joke

I have just read on spanish internet news that the move to the leopard cage is temporary and that the "lobas olimpicas" will be returned to an open enclousure with a much higher fence. The matriarch female wolf, who began all jumping is named Penelope, which of course reminds many male zoochaters of Spain´s most beautifull and talented actress.The canid is already referred to in press releases as "Pe". Seriously, i hope that all this pulicity will give attention to the important conservation programs for the Iberian wolf.