Management, Conservation and Researchof the Wolf in Slovakia

Slavomír FinďoNational Forest Centre – Forest Research Institute ZvolenCarpathain Wildife Society

Michaela SkubanCarpathian Wildlife Society

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

• Hunting

• Impact of road infrastructure

• Lack of knowledge, public awarness and research on wolves

• Gap in communication and cooperation among parties involved in the wolf management

Main threats to wolf population in Slovakia

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Wolves hunted in 1991-1995 and distribution in 2004

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Legend!( 1995

!( 1994

!( 1993

!( 1992

!( 1991

Protected corridor

Protected corridor

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

N

Numbers Hunted wolves

Partial protection

Total protection

Partial protection

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

N

1975

Numbers of hunted wolves in Slovakia in 1968-2006

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Hunted wolves in 2006 (N=91). Yellow circles show location of hunting grounds with shot wolves. Numerals indicate more than one killed wolf within the hunting ground

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4

4

3

3

3

3 3 2

2

222

2

22

2 22

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Estimated wolf population size by hunters/wildlife experts and the number of hunted wolves in the district of Rožňava (82 798 ha) in 1982-2002.

20

40

60

80

100

12019

82

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

Hunters estimate Wildlife experts estimate Hunted wolves

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

10

20

30

40

50

60

7019

82

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

%

Percent of fall and early winter population killed. Removal of about 40 % of individuals or more resulted in population decline and consequently to a smaller chance to hunt wolves.

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Overview of Research Activities

Feeding ecology of wolf: scat analysis (n=356), 12 mountain ranges, 1992-1999

69%

21%

5%

1%1%2%1%

Diviak Hlodavce Rastliny OvcaOstatné Neurčené Jeleňovité

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

The influence of wolf predation on distribution of swine fever disease (Pestis suum europaea) among wild boars

1994 1997

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Study site

PackPack

sizeSex Age

Weight

Kg

Number of

locations

Tatry Bialka 7 ♂ Adult 37 180

Nízke

TatryStruhár 5 ♀ Adult 40 319

Spatiotemporal behaviour of wolf and its main prey red deer

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Sex

&

Pack

HR size ha

MCP 100 % Kernel 50 %

♂ Bialka 14 600 2 100

♀ Struhár 19 100 2 800

Wolf home range shape & size

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Nízke Tatry

Po¾ana

Red deer telemetry study

Nízke Tatry & Poľana (120 000 hectares)

21 animals tagged (13 ♂♂ & 8 ♀♀)

HR size (MCP = 100 %)

Migratory: 7 700 – 8 700 ha

Sedentary: 530 – 1320 ha

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

BabaBukovecÈierny dielFatra PrašiváHavranovoChabenecJasenie¼upèiankaRichtárovoStracenô

Jeleò è. 19Jeleò è. 15Jeleò è. 14Jelenica è. 100Vllèica

5 0 5 10 Kilometers

HR Wolf – Red deer in the Nízke Tatry Mts

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

#

##

#

#

##

#

R5-1

R2-1

R6-1 R3-2R4-1

R3-2

R2-3R2-2

R1-1

R1-2R2-4

R2-5

R2-6 R2-7

R2-8

R2-9 R2-10 R2-11

R3-1

R7-1R7-2

D2-1

D1-1

D1-2

D1-6

D1-7

D1-8

D1-9

D1-3

D1-4D1-5

D3-1

D3-2

Žilina

Banská Bystrica

NitraTrnava

Trenčín

Bratislava

Košice

Prešov

Number of species

POCET

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Identification of critical segments of the main road transportation corridors with wildlife habitats

Bear, wolf, lynx, wild cat, red deer,

wild boar, fallow deer and mouflon

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

#

#

#

#

#

##

#

Nitra

Prešov

Košice

Žilina

Trnava

Trenčín

Bratislava

Banská Bystrica

D2

D4

R7

R1

R2

D1

R6

D1

R5

D3

R3

R3

R4

D1

R3

R7

R2

R4R2

Potential impact of the main road transportaion corridors on wolf habitat

Nowy Targ 7.-8.12.2007

Livestock protection

• Gudelines for farmers

• Expert groups in charge of damage assesment imposed by predators to livestock and other human properties are in principle insufficiantely educated. → Incorrect damage assesment results in hatred to predators, especially the wolf.

Conclusions:

• Any changes of legislation should be done carefully in cooperation with hunters in order to prevent contraproductive effects

• Introduce large-scale system of wildlife management

- Quota for hunting wolves. Proposed spring numbers 280 wolves. Less than 20 % of spring numbers should be hunted. - Prevent destruction of whole packs. Lonly individuals or pairs can be more destructive to livestock than compact pack. - Ban drive hunts. - Report shot wolves including filled form with a photo of killed animal

Conclusions:

• Improve system of livestock protection and damage assessment

• Insist on building passages and other mitigation for animals during road netowrk construction, especially of motorways and dual carriageways

• Include wolf and livestock protection issue into currently prepared research acitivities

Publications

Finďo, S. – Hood, A. 2001: Interakcie veľkých šeliem a oviec na vybraných salašoch stredného Slovenska. Folia venatoria 30-31, 199-206.

Finďo, S. 2002: Potravná ekológia vlka (Canis lupus) v Slovenských Karpatoch. Výskum a ochrana cicavcov na Slovensku V. 45-55.

Finďo, S. 2002: Vrodené správanie a návyky pastierskch strážnych psov využívané pri ochrane hospodárskch zvierat proti veľkým šelmám. Výskum a ochrana cicavcov na Slovensku V. 147-153.

Finďo, S. 2002: Domovské okrsky, migrácie a denná aktivita jelenej zveri v horských lesoch. Folia venatoria 32, 7-14.

Finďo, S. – Chovancová, B. 2004: Home ranges of two wolf packs in the Slovak Carpathians. Folia Zool. 53(1), 17-26.

Finďo, S. 2005: Reducing sheep losses to large predators by use of livestock guarding dogs. Beiträge zur Jagd-und Wildforschung, Bd. 30, 213-221.

Finďo, S. – Skuban, M. – Koreň, M. 2007: Brown bear corridors in Slovakia. Identification of critical segments of the main road transportation corridors with wildlife habitats. Carpathian Wildlife Society.