Great news from the Beskydy-Kysuce pilot area! Wolf packs in the Beskydy and Javorníky Mountains gave birth to pups this spring. Hurray! Are you wondering how we can confirm such information? Thanks to long-term year-round monitoring!
As a result of intensive monitoring, we get insight into the life of wolf packs living or moving through the area. We can observe how many males and females form the pack, what is their age, whether they are injured, in which areas they appear the most, and also how many pups were born. Today, thanks to these monitoring methods, we know that most wolves move within their territories across several countries. The birth of wolf pups is very important and exciting. Wolves returned to the border area in the 1990s, but the first breeding on the Czech-Slovak border was only confirmed in 2019. As you can see, reproduction hasn’t been successful for many years, which is why we are happy every time puppies come into the world. ☺
Are you wondering how we got information about the puppies? It is yet again, thanks to our photo trap monitoring. The images we have obtained from the camera traps are proof that the wolf population in the Carpathian mountains is successfully reproducing. Such information from the field is important not only for nature conservation but also for further monitoring and studying of the wolf population in this area.
Do you know what else is part of the monitoring or what it means? Large carnivores monitoring means hours and hours of fieldwork in all weather conditions and all sorts of terrains. Field workers need to find the occurrence signs of the animals like scat, tracks, footprints, or prey to which animals are often returning back.
For the stability of the wolf population in a given area, it is crucial to preserve the year-round protection for wolves. However, it does not come automatically, it is a political decision, and therefore we have to advocate for the protection continuously. Unfortunately, we also have bad but yet important news. In the years 2023 and 2024, we recorded deaths of two female wolves on the Slovak side of the Javorníky Mountains. Both wolves have been hit and killed by cars. The stability of the wolf population in the western part of the Carpathians, as well as elsewhere, is negatively affected mainly by human activities, whether it is poaching or transportation. This makes the confirmed newly born wolf pups even more valuable and exciting!
Let’s work together on other great news the LECA activities bring to the wolf population!