Confirmed: Wolf family in the Kokořínsko-Mácha’s Region has grown also this year
18.7.2016, Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR) and Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (Hnutí DUHA)
Unique footage confirms that at least four wolf pups were born this spring in the Kokořínsko-Mácha's Region (in the Central Bohemia). They were recorded by the camera trap of Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (Administration of PLA Kokořínsko-Mácha's Region) which is installed in the heart of National Nature Reserve Břehyně-Pecopala. These are the first images of this year's young wolves.
"After a long pause, when the wolves appeared only sporadically on camera trap images, a pleasant surprise awaited us last week. Dozens of photos and videos show up to four pups. They are visibly younger than their siblings from previous years were when camera traps first captured them. This corresponds with the time of recordings - end of June; the 2014 pups were first photographed in late July/early August," explains Luboš Beran of Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (Administration of PLA Kokořínsko-Mácha's Region),
Young wolves play in the Kokořínsko-Mácha's Region Protected Landscape Area
The total number of wolves in the Mácha's Region is not precisely known at this moment: during the last winter, there were at least 7 animals in the pack - they were also caught on camera traps installed by Friends of the Earth Czech Republic [1]. Our organization monitors wolves in the area in cooperation with the PLA Administration. It is very likely that some of the pups born last year and the year before already left the pack (or will do so soon) to colonize new territories.
"The monitoring of wolves is helped by the volunteers of ‘Wolf Patrols' who so far collected more than sixty faeces samples for diet analysis and parasitological examination; over twenty of them were found fresh enough to be suitable for genetic analysis [2]", adds Miroslav Kutal of Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (local organization Olomouc), project coordinator of the large carnivores monitoring. "We are very pleased that the wolves here are reproducing for the third year and that our volunteers also contribute to studying and protecting them. We are planning more educational programmes for this autumn including public screenings and a workshop aimed at experts."
The presence of wolves in the Kokořínsko-Mácha's Region PLA was first confirmed in 2014. They find enough prey here - wild boars, fallow deer, red and roe deer. Regulating the populations of these species, which are now overpopulated in the Czech landscape and damaging forests, is one of the greatest practical benefits of wolf presence. Farmers are compensated by national authorities for any damage to livestock.
Wolves are able to travel hundreds of kilometres in a short time. The largest wolf population can be found in the German Lausitz where they managed to adapt and survive in the relatively densely populated landscape.
Contact:
Luboš Beran, regional office of Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Administration of PLA Kokořínsko-Mácha's Region, e-mail: lubos.beran@nature.cz
Karolína Šůlová, Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, e-mail: karolina.sulova@nature.cz
Miroslav Kutal, Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (local organization Olomouc), e-mail: miroslav.kutal@hnutiduha.cz
Notes:
[1] Video footage of seven wolves - members of the same pack: http://www.selmy.cz/tiskove-zpravy/vlci-smecka-na-dokesku-se-rozrostla-i-loni/
[2] Genetic analyses are conducted as part of the project supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway „Monitoring of important European carnivore species in selected localities within the Natura 2000" (more at http://monitoring.selmy.cz) on which Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (local organization Olomouc) cooperates closely with Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Charles University, University of Ostrava and the Administrations of the Krkonoše Mountains National Park and the Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
