Conservationists in Sweden have won at least a temporary ban on wolf hunting just days after the season began.

The Swedish government had authorised a targeted cull of the predators, saying it was needed to create a healthier wolf population.

It is estimated 270 wolves are living in the wild in Sweden. Farmers say they prey on sheep, and hunters complain they deplete stocks of game animals like elk.

Three of the 16 wolves allowed to be killed under the quota had been shot, but conservationists have appealed to the courts.

They argue the wolves should be allowed to roam free as part of the natural ecosystem.

The species was hunted to the verge of extinction in Sweden before a ban on hunting was introduced in the 1960s.

The court ruling is expected to result in wolf hunting in Sweden being suspended for the rest of the year.