Varggrop i Södra Sandsjö
Former wolf pit near Dångebo
The former wolf pit Södra Sandsjö is located in a wooded area on the lake Sandsjö near Dångebo, about 12 kilometers east of Tingsryd.
At the peak of the so-called "wolf plague" in Småland between the years 1810 to 1850 each village was obliged to apply pitfalls for wolf hunting to exterminate the wolves.
For that purpose, deep bricked pits were created. Sharpened piles were set at the bottom of the pits. A vertical wooden pole in the center of the pit was about half a meter higher than the edge of the pit. The pit itself was covered with thin branches, twigs and leaves, and bait was attached on top of the center pole.
In attempting to reach the bait, the wolf should break through the thin cover and impaled on the piles at the bottom of the pit. In reality, only a few wolves were captured this way. Foxes became the main victim of this traps instead.
