Protection, management and monitoring of the wolf population in SLovakia

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Protection, management and monitoring of the wolf
population in SLovakia

• Jozef Doczy
• Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of
  the Slovak Republic

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The Carpathian Mountains
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Spreading of the wolf population 1984 - 2015
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Damages caused by wolf in EUR 1984 - 2015
Year sheeps goats cattles
rabbits hunting

game Summary
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Slovakia harbours well established populations of
lynx, bear and the wolf
300 - 600 wolves 800 bears 400 lynx All expert
estimates based on preliminary population surveys
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• Legal status in the past and today
• In 2004, Slovakia joined the European Union and
  has adopted a system
• of nature conservation of NATURA 2000.
• According to the Habitats Directive the wolf is
  included in Annexes II, IV
• and V.
• According to Annex II, Slovakia has the
  obligation to designate special areas
• of conservation for the wolf. Sites of
  Community importance for wolves and
• other species included in Appendix 2 have been
  designated on 1 August
• 2004.
• The Slovak Republic has, however has an
  exception from the strict
• protection of the wolf, which is declared in
  Annex IV of the Directive.
• The exception is also declared in Annex V
  animal species of community
• interest whose taking in the wild and
  exploitation may be subject to
• management measures

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• Introduction of hunting qoutas
• For the hunting season 2013 - 2014 a quota for
  80 wolves
• was set, but because of the newly introduced
  hunting
• regulations only 29 individuals were shot.

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Monitoring of wolf population
Monitoring and management are interactive
processes. The precondition for effective
protection and rational management, namely to
determine hunting quotas, are information on the
distribution and abundance of the species.
Estimate of the total population size in the
case of the wolf is rather complicated process
requiring appropriate methodology, great human
potential, financial security, well-prepared
design and logistics for the collection of field
data.
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The basic question for the spreading population
and consequently for setting quotas
What happens to the puppies when the population
is stable natural mortality
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Concluding remarks 1/2
?Slovakia harbours well established and healthy
core wolf population, which is partially shared
with neighbouring Countries. We sustains thriving
and genetically diverse wolf population which
serves as a gene pool for neighbouring countries
including the Czech Republic, Poland, the Ukraine
and Hungary ?Cross border cooperation should
include mainly monitoring of the wolf population
and the cross-fertilization of experiences. This
should prevent further misunderstanding among
neighbouring countries ?It is questionable if
dispersing wolves from Slovakia to the Pannonia
lowland will be able to set up a viable
population especially in farmlands where many
conflicts with livestock breeders can be expected
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Concluding remarks 2/2
? Setting annual hunting quotas is a very
effective tool for sustainable management of the
wolf population based on the latest knowledge of
species status and all other needs of human
society. It means that we appreciate the setting
quotas as the best way of management of wolf
population because of its flexibility with the
possibility to take into account the latest data
about the status of the population ? Based on
up-to-date information, hunters expect the
possibility to continue in hunting wolves
especially in areas where their numbers
considerably increased, and where they cause
damage on livestock and game ? Based on
observation of our hunter managers, wolf when it
is not managed (hunted) is losing its natural
shyness and respect for humans ? In the case
mentioned in the previous point, and eventually
when there are large packs of wolves, it can eat
not only the weakest individuals of its prey but
also any individual game (mainly red deer)
regardless it health condition.
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Thank you for your attention