In Vimperk 7.12. 2020
Scientists from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (ČZU) together with experts from the Šumava National Park Administration managed to put on a telemetric collar on a wild wolf. The approximately three-year-old, thirty-kilogram female is thus the first Czech wolf whose movement will be precisely monitored.
"It is a great success. Catching a wild wolf is by no means an easy task. It is a very intelligent animal that can easily discover a hidden trap and systematically avoid it," explains the leader of the research project Aleš Vorel from the ČZU.
"Catching wolves in the wild is one of the most difficult tasks in field ecology. In our case, the approach included both old trapper procedures as well as the use of modern technologies. Several scientific groups from Europe, the USA and Canada helped us with the preparations," adds another member of the capture team, Jan Horníček from the ČZU.
The capture, including preparations for it, took several months. Dozens of capture traps were then deployed on the territory of the Šumava National Park. The traps were under the constant supervision of two tracking systems; after recording any movement, the team could be at the capture site within minutes. Experienced veterinarians Lukáš Pavlačík and Hana Horáková were also part of the team.
"In the end, we managed to capture a healthy female, about three years old, weighing 30 kilograms. Immediately after capture, the wolf was narkotised and a telemetry collar was put on. After the necessary measurements, weighing, collection of genetic material that will still be examined, she successfully woke up from anesthesia and returned to the safety of the territory of her pack. Currently, the wolf, according to a large number of the first records from the collar and further research, is moving again together with other members of the pack," describes the details of the capture Jan Mokrý from the Šumava National Park.
In Šumava, wolves have appeared sporadically in recent history. It was not until around 2016 that a permanent settlement was established here. This was created by a mixed European couple, and a male demonstrably from Italy was joined by a female whose origin is from a population on the border of Poland and Germany.
"We recorded the creation of the pack in the middle of 2017. The reproduction was confirmed this year as well, when we also registered the creation of the second wolf pack in the Šumava and Bavarian Forest. It is possible that the captured female is a descendant of the mentioned parents, forming the basis of the first Šumava pack," says Oldřich Vojtěch from the Šumava National Park.
Capturing and collaring a wolf is a great contribution to the study of the ecology of this returning species. The benefits of wolf movement records provide accurate data on how wolves work in our landscape, where they spend most of their time, how often and where they go hunting.
"At the same time, the data from the collar will also be important from a conservation point of view; the data can, for example, show how much time wolves spend visiting farms with livestock compared to hunting wild prey. The return of the wolf also accompanies a considerable number of rumours and fakenews. Accurate telemetry data will clearly show what is the truth and what are only the legends that human society has carried with it for centuries," comments the success Aleš Vorel.
The main prey of wolves is, above all, the often overpopulated ungulates, which cause significant damage to foresters and farmers. It makes up 98% of the wolf's diet. Livestock breeding is also indisputably important for landscape maintenance. The Agency for Nature and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic (AOPK) has therefore prepared the Wolf Management Program, which describes steps to reduce the conflicts that the return of wolves to our landscape brings. AOPK also cooperates with breeders' associations, has prepared standards for herd protection, assists with the administration of subsidies, has pushed for an increase in compensation for damages. All information is available on the website www.navratvlku.cz.
At present, there are about 18 wolf territories in the Czech Republic. The population of wolves has been growing in recent years, especially with the expansion of the population from the German-Polish border. The Slovak Carpathians on the Czech-Slovak border are also a source of wolves in Central Europe. Telemetric research on wolves is also taking place in neighbouring countries. Several marked wolves are living in Saxony or neighbouring Austria. It is interesting that one wolf marked in Austria ran all the way north-west to Karlovy Vary, where he created a new territory this year.
Jan Dvořák, Press Spokesman, Šumava National Park Administration, 1. máje 260, 385 01 VIMPERK
mobile: +420 731 530 509, e-mail: jan.dvorak@npsumava.cz, www.npsumava.cz
Aleš Vorel, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague
mobile: +420605281401, e-mail: vorel@fzp.czu.cz
