"Shoot, dig, and shut up !" Differing perceptions of wolves in urban and rural Sweden The wolf population in Sweden has grown considerably in recent years, which has created conflicts in society. Urban people and national authorities are in favour of the strict protection of wolves, while rural people and the indigenous Saami reindeer herders are increasingly frustrated over wolf damages. Despite national protection efforts, the number of illegally killed wolves each year is increasing, and it is possible today to talk about the ethnic dimensions of a "wolf conflict" between urban and rural people in Sweden.