4 December 2025
The shepherd who shepherds in wolf territory and has learned to live with them
Shepherd Miguel Afonso and his flock. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
News report
Anyone who keeps livestock in wolf territory knows that safety is paramount when living alongside the largest terrestrial predator in Portugal's wildlife. When Miguel Afonso, 36, decided to leave Lisbon, where he lived, to settle in Guadramil, his parents' hometown in the municipality of Bragança, to become a livestock farmer and shepherd, he knew what he was getting into (and wanted to get into). He built up a flock of sheep, organised his “troops” of livestock guarding dogs and set out into the hills in the heart of the Montesinho Natural Park, a protected area that is home to one of the most important populations of Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) in Portugal. Together with the north of the province of Zamora in Spain, it is also one of the areas on the Iberian Peninsula with the highest density of this wolf subspecies. In six years of shepherding, Miguel Afonso's flock has never suffered a wolf attack. And if one day it does, he assures us in advance that he will not blame them. If it happens, he says with conviction: ‘either I failed, or the dogs failed’.
It was on a sunny autumn morning on 20 November that we met Miguel Afonso in a marshland on the outskirts of Rio de Onor, where he usually shepherds the 214 Churra Galega Bragançana sheep that make up the flock he created when, in 2019, he moved to Guadramil, one of the most isolated and depopulated villages in the country. The location, idyllic and ideal for feeding livestock, is an area already identified as the territory of one of the wolf packs in the Montesinho Natural Park. The shepherd knew this, but it had always been this way since he wanted to graze there. The tranquillity and confidence with which he speaks and acts has a number and a name: eight dogs of the Cão de Gado Transmontano breed that have never let a wolf dare to bother either the flock or its keeper. And another one to turn, of the Border Collie breed. He has never suffered an attack.
"But it's not always the wolf that attacks, sometimes the fox can also attack a small lamb, for example,’" he adds.
He has seen them ‘five or six times’ at a distance where he can recognise them, but the dogs soon made them leave. They too have ‘drawn up’ a strategy. While some chase the wolves away through the rocks and hills, returning more than an hour later, exhausted but with a sense of mission accomplished, others stay behind to guard the flock. The departure of some cannot leave the sheep unprotected. The wolf also has its tactics, and the attack could be sneaky in a moment of absence of a guard. Having the necessary number of dogs to ensure the safety of the flock is essential for living in harmony with the wolf, with respect for biodiversity and sharing of mutual space. The shepherd knows this and has what he considers to be the ideal number. But not just any dog can guarantee this service: it has to be a ‘functional’ dog, says Miguel Afonso.
"I've never had any problems with wolves. I've seen them about 100 or 200 metres away, but the dogs immediately give the alarm. One dog is not enough. I have eight for 214 sheep. I've seen four or five of them together, but as there are so many dogs, they didn't stand a chance. They wanted to try to trick the dogs into getting among the livestock, but they didn't succeed," said the shepherd.
Sheepdogs: born and raised among sheep
Not just any dog can protect a flock from wolves. It has to be a livestock dog and it has to be ‘born’ and raised among sheep. Shortly after birth, they must smell the sheep and form a bond of belonging to the group that is the basis of their defence.
"No dog came here as an adult. They all came as very small puppies. As soon as they arrived, or when their mothers gave birth to them, they were immediately placed among the sheep, where they live and sleep with them. They never stay close to me, they are always close to them," explains Miguel Afonso, adding that "you can't think, ah... they're little, let's take them home, or to the village, and then leave them with the sheep, because then they won't become attached to them, nor will they protect them properly."
Day in the hills; night in the shelter, in winter in the stable, in summer in the enclosure
Miguel Afonso is a shepherd and lives up to his name. He is always following the sheep, with a few exceptions during the summer, when the flock is left under the care of the dogs for a period. Security is tight. For months at a time, he is in the field with the livestock. The sheepfold is located on a plot of land in Rio de Onor, about 7 km from his home. During the day, he is in the hills. At night, in winter, he brings them into a closed stable. In summer, they are in the enclosure, with a fence between 1.70 and 1.80 metres high.
"A smarter fox or a bolder wolf could still climb over, but they wouldn't be able to cope with the eight dogs that live there with them," says the shepherd.
"If I didn't have dogs, I wouldn't have any sheep left. I'm sure of that. Ideally, you should have one dog for every 30 sheep, which is the minimum to ensure safety. Dogs are essential for guarding the flock. Protection is essential, not only from wolves, but also from foxes and even theft; with dogs, there are no major problems," he says, concluding: "From the attacks I've heard about here in the area, I know they occurred due to a lack of protection."
While there are areas where coexistence with wolves is more peaceful, such as in the Montesinho Natural Park, there are places where animosity towards the species has grown, such as in the Mirandese Plateau, especially after the increase in attacks attributed to wolves in the last year in this region, which understandably generates discontent and fear among the population. According to data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), 32 wolf attacks were recorded in the Mirandese Plateau in 20 months.
But if there are facts that undermine coexistence with wolves, there are also myths that fuel false narratives and destroy bridges of dialogue between communities and those who work to conserve nature and biodiversity, such as the ‘release of wolves’: ‘It is not clear who is doing it, but there is a white van going around releasing them in the hills...’; or ‘they're putting wolves out there’. The narrative is repeated by word of mouth and is revived whenever a new attack occurs. But this is nothing more than a rural myth. The so-called ‘release of wolves’ does not exist and has never been done in Portugal.
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This myth may be reinforced, in part, by ‘rural communities' lack of knowledge about the behaviour and ecology of the species,’ says biologist João Santos da Palombar, who was part of the team responsible for the actions carried out in the Northeast Transmontano region of the 2019-2021 National Iberian Wolf Census, coordinated by the ICNF.
"Nature is dynamic and wolves can travel long distances; they have a dispersive behaviour during which they can travel tens or even hundreds of kilometres, colonising new areas or reoccupying territories from which they had previously disappeared," he explains.
Why are there now wolves where there seemed to be none before? The case of the Mirandese Plateau
The fact that years go by without a wolf being detected in a particular place or without a wolf attack does not mean that one day it cannot appear or happen again, precisely because of their dispersive behaviour, especially in the case of younger wolves who are looking to establish their own territory. Or because of dynamics in packs that have not yet been detected or studied, for example.
"This may be what is happening in the Mirandese Plateau, where dozens of attacks attributed to wolves have been recorded in the last year, causing significant losses to livestock farmers and local communities," explains João Santos, emphasizing, however, "that it is necessary to follow up on the ground and conduct a more in-depth analysis to understand what is actually happening".
But one thing is certain: when wolves appear or reappear in a certain area, they do not appear ‘out of nowhere because they were released’; it is because wolves travel long distances when they are dispersing, or due to the dynamics of the packs themselves.
The migratory saga of a wolf that travelled across countries
In 2011, for example, the wolf Slvac made a surprising 2,000 km journey from Slovenia to Italy, where he settled after finding a dispersing female. Biologists from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, who had fitted him with a GPS collar, followed his impressive migratory saga step by step at the time. In the Iberian Peninsula, although the distance travelled in dispersal movements is much shorter, some studies estimate that they can still travel a distance ranging from 13 km to just over 50 km. On average, 34 km.
A path to coexistence...
Rural communities have every right and freedom to carry out their economic activities, particularly livestock farming, safely and peacefully. Palombar strongly defends this right and supports local populations. On the other hand, the wolf is a historic species in Portugal, which also has the inalienable right to live freely in its natural habitat. When these two realities intersect, at the crossroads between rural and wild, human and wild animal, it is essential to adopt the most appropriate measures to ensure the necessary and fair coexistence.
"The example of the shepherd from Guadramil is important in showing that it is possible to coexist with wolves, minimising risks as much as possible, by adopting the most appropriate and proven protective measures that work in practice," points out biologist João Santos.
On the other hand, it is equally essential "that there be an abundance of wild prey, such as wild boar, roe deer and deer, so that wolves have alternative sources of food and attacks on domestic livestock are reduced. Here too, hunters play a fundamental role through the proper management of large game populations," he adds.
Palombar considers that it is vital not only to ensure the existence of wild prey for wolves in their area of occurrence, but also to provide livestock farmers with the tools that allow them to coexist peacefully with the species (such as those used by shepherd Miguel Afonso, among others), minimising the risk of attacks and losses. And whenever losses do occur, the compensation system should be swift, fair and effective.
But it all starts, in fact, with a change within ourselves: when we all understand that the natural environment in which we live and of which we are a part is also the habitat of native wild species, which, like us, have the right to live freely in the place where they are born and exist. We believe that coexisting with the wolf is possible. The shepherd from Guadramil is proof of that.
Anyone who keeps livestock in wolf territory knows that safety is paramount when living alongside the largest terrestrial predator in Portugal's wildlife. When Miguel Afonso, 36, decided to leave Lisbon, where he lived, to settle in Guadramil, his parents' hometown in the municipality of Bragança, to become a livestock farmer and shepherd, he knew what he was getting into (and wanted to get into). He built up a flock of sheep, organised his “troops” of livestock guarding dogs and set out into the hills in the heart of the Montesinho Natural Park, a protected area that is home to one of the most important populations of Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) in Portugal. Together with the north of the province of Zamora in Spain, it is also one of the areas on the Iberian Peninsula with the highest density of this wolf subspecies. In six years of shepherding, Miguel Afonso's flock has never suffered a wolf attack. And if one day it does, he assures us in advance that he will not blame them. If it happens, he says with conviction: ‘either I failed, or the dogs failed’.
Miguel Afonso, cattle breeder and shepherd. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
It was on a sunny autumn morning on 20 November that we met Miguel Afonso in a marshland on the outskirts of Rio de Onor, where he usually shepherds the 214 Churra Galega Bragançana sheep that make up the flock he created when, in 2019, he moved to Guadramil, one of the most isolated and depopulated villages in the country. The location, idyllic and ideal for feeding livestock, is an area already identified as the territory of one of the wolf packs in the Montesinho Natural Park. The shepherd knew this, but it had always been this way since he wanted to graze there. The tranquillity and confidence with which he speaks and acts has a number and a name: eight dogs of the Cão de Gado Transmontano breed that have never let a wolf dare to bother either the flock or its keeper. And another one to turn, of the Border Collie breed. He has never suffered an attack.
The flock consists of 214 white and black sheep of the Churra Galega Bragançana breed. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
The flock usually grazes on a marshland on the outskirts of the village of Rio de Onor. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
"But it's not always the wolf that attacks, sometimes the fox can also attack a small lamb, for example,’" he adds.
He has seen them ‘five or six times’ at a distance where he can recognise them, but the dogs soon made them leave. They too have ‘drawn up’ a strategy. While some chase the wolves away through the rocks and hills, returning more than an hour later, exhausted but with a sense of mission accomplished, others stay behind to guard the flock. The departure of some cannot leave the sheep unprotected. The wolf also has its tactics, and the attack could be sneaky in a moment of absence of a guard. Having the necessary number of dogs to ensure the safety of the flock is essential for living in harmony with the wolf, with respect for biodiversity and sharing of mutual space. The shepherd knows this and has what he considers to be the ideal number. But not just any dog can guarantee this service: it has to be a ‘functional’ dog, says Miguel Afonso.
"I've never had any problems with wolves. I've seen them about 100 or 200 metres away, but the dogs immediately give the alarm. One dog is not enough. I have eight for 214 sheep. I've seen four or five of them together, but as there are so many dogs, they didn't stand a chance. They wanted to try to trick the dogs into getting among the livestock, but they didn't succeed," said the shepherd.
Sheepdogs: born and raised among sheep
Not just any dog can protect a flock from wolves. It has to be a livestock dog and it has to be ‘born’ and raised among sheep. Shortly after birth, they must smell the sheep and form a bond of belonging to the group that is the basis of their defence.
"No dog came here as an adult. They all came as very small puppies. As soon as they arrived, or when their mothers gave birth to them, they were immediately placed among the sheep, where they live and sleep with them. They never stay close to me, they are always close to them," explains Miguel Afonso, adding that "you can't think, ah... they're little, let's take them home, or to the village, and then leave them with the sheep, because then they won't become attached to them, nor will they protect them properly."
Eight dogs of the Transmontano Cattle Dog breed keep a close watch over the herd. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
Two of the eight sheepdogs. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
Day in the hills; night in the shelter, in winter in the stable, in summer in the enclosure
Miguel Afonso is a shepherd and lives up to his name. He is always following the sheep, with a few exceptions during the summer, when the flock is left under the care of the dogs for a period. Security is tight. For months at a time, he is in the field with the livestock. The sheepfold is located on a plot of land in Rio de Onor, about 7 km from his home. During the day, he is in the hills. At night, in winter, he brings them into a closed stable. In summer, they are in the enclosure, with a fence between 1.70 and 1.80 metres high.
"A smarter fox or a bolder wolf could still climb over, but they wouldn't be able to cope with the eight dogs that live there with them," says the shepherd.
"If I didn't have dogs, I wouldn't have any sheep left. I'm sure of that. Ideally, you should have one dog for every 30 sheep, which is the minimum to ensure safety. Dogs are essential for guarding the flock. Protection is essential, not only from wolves, but also from foxes and even theft; with dogs, there are no major problems," he says, concluding: "From the attacks I've heard about here in the area, I know they occurred due to a lack of protection."
At night, the sheep are always kept safe under the watchful eye of the dogs. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
While there are areas where coexistence with wolves is more peaceful, such as in the Montesinho Natural Park, there are places where animosity towards the species has grown, such as in the Mirandese Plateau, especially after the increase in attacks attributed to wolves in the last year in this region, which understandably generates discontent and fear among the population. According to data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), 32 wolf attacks were recorded in the Mirandese Plateau in 20 months.
But if there are facts that undermine coexistence with wolves, there are also myths that fuel false narratives and destroy bridges of dialogue between communities and those who work to conserve nature and biodiversity, such as the ‘release of wolves’: ‘It is not clear who is doing it, but there is a white van going around releasing them in the hills...’; or ‘they're putting wolves out there’. The narrative is repeated by word of mouth and is revived whenever a new attack occurs. But this is nothing more than a rural myth. The so-called ‘release of wolves’ does not exist and has never been done in Portugal.
Coexistence with wolves tends to be more peaceful in Montesinho Natural Park. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
This myth may be reinforced, in part, by ‘rural communities' lack of knowledge about the behaviour and ecology of the species,’ says biologist João Santos da Palombar, who was part of the team responsible for the actions carried out in the Northeast Transmontano region of the 2019-2021 National Iberian Wolf Census, coordinated by the ICNF.
"Nature is dynamic and wolves can travel long distances; they have a dispersive behaviour during which they can travel tens or even hundreds of kilometres, colonising new areas or reoccupying territories from which they had previously disappeared," he explains.
Why are there now wolves where there seemed to be none before? The case of the Mirandese Plateau
The fact that years go by without a wolf being detected in a particular place or without a wolf attack does not mean that one day it cannot appear or happen again, precisely because of their dispersive behaviour, especially in the case of younger wolves who are looking to establish their own territory. Or because of dynamics in packs that have not yet been detected or studied, for example.
"This may be what is happening in the Mirandese Plateau, where dozens of attacks attributed to wolves have been recorded in the last year, causing significant losses to livestock farmers and local communities," explains João Santos, emphasizing, however, "that it is necessary to follow up on the ground and conduct a more in-depth analysis to understand what is actually happening".
But one thing is certain: when wolves appear or reappear in a certain area, they do not appear ‘out of nowhere because they were released’; it is because wolves travel long distances when they are dispersing, or due to the dynamics of the packs themselves.
The migratory saga of a wolf that travelled across countries
In 2011, for example, the wolf Slvac made a surprising 2,000 km journey from Slovenia to Italy, where he settled after finding a dispersing female. Biologists from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, who had fitted him with a GPS collar, followed his impressive migratory saga step by step at the time. In the Iberian Peninsula, although the distance travelled in dispersal movements is much shorter, some studies estimate that they can still travel a distance ranging from 13 km to just over 50 km. On average, 34 km.
Iberian wolf. Photo: João Ferreira.
A path to coexistence...
Rural communities have every right and freedom to carry out their economic activities, particularly livestock farming, safely and peacefully. Palombar strongly defends this right and supports local populations. On the other hand, the wolf is a historic species in Portugal, which also has the inalienable right to live freely in its natural habitat. When these two realities intersect, at the crossroads between rural and wild, human and wild animal, it is essential to adopt the most appropriate measures to ensure the necessary and fair coexistence.
"The example of the shepherd from Guadramil is important in showing that it is possible to coexist with wolves, minimising risks as much as possible, by adopting the most appropriate and proven protective measures that work in practice," points out biologist João Santos.
The shepherd of Guadramil lives alongside wolves and recognises that this endangered species should live freely in its natural habitat. Photo: Uliana de Castro/Palombar.
On the other hand, it is equally essential "that there be an abundance of wild prey, such as wild boar, roe deer and deer, so that wolves have alternative sources of food and attacks on domestic livestock are reduced. Here too, hunters play a fundamental role through the proper management of large game populations," he adds.
Palombar considers that it is vital not only to ensure the existence of wild prey for wolves in their area of occurrence, but also to provide livestock farmers with the tools that allow them to coexist peacefully with the species (such as those used by shepherd Miguel Afonso, among others), minimising the risk of attacks and losses. And whenever losses do occur, the compensation system should be swift, fair and effective.
But it all starts, in fact, with a change within ourselves: when we all understand that the natural environment in which we live and of which we are a part is also the habitat of native wild species, which, like us, have the right to live freely in the place where they are born and exist. We believe that coexisting with the wolf is possible. The shepherd from Guadramil is proof of that.
By Uliana de Castro/Palombar