2008-03-17 13:05

Census of wolves and lynx in Poland

There are over 500 wolves and 130 lynx in Poland. The national population of wolves in Poland in the 2006/2007 season was estimated between 101-124 packs each counting about five members. At least 128 lynx were also discovered. The next stage of the national inventory of wolves and lynx has now closed. The programme has been run since 2000. It is coordinated by the Mammal Research Centre at the Polish Academy of Sciences, the "Wilk" Association for Nature and the Institute of Environmental Protection of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The inventory is conducted by foresters, employees of national parks and institutions coordinating the programme every year.

During the seven years since the programme has been run, over 20,000 records of wolf and lynx presence in Poland have been registered (these include direct observations, traces, howling, breeding grounds and prey).

During the inventory, modern genetic analyses were used on a wide scale. In the whole of Poland over 1,000 genetic samples were taken for research on wolves. The method enabled establishing the genetic differences between wolves living in various parts of the country. This will help assess the distances covered by migrating wolves.

The largest genetic differences were registered between wolves in the Carpathian Mountains and those living in the remaining parts of the country. Wolves generally migrate between the north east and west of the country, much more rarely between the Carpathians and north-east Poland. This confirms that western Poland is largely inhabited by wolves from Mazury, Podlasie and Suwałki, while the Carpathians wolves are the most isolated.

Genetic studies have confirmed that ecological corridors for large animals still exist. Protecting them and improving these passages is extremely important. In future years, genetic research is also planned on lynx. For more information go to: www.zbs.bialowieza.pl/wilkrys

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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