20 and 23 March 2007

Presenting the Results of the Action of Snow Tracking Large Carnivore Populations

The results of the Action of Snow Tracking Large Carnivore Populations were presented in the head office of the Public Institution of the Risnjak National Park in Crni Lug on 20 March and in the premises of the "Maki" catering establishment in Gospić on 23 March 2007. The methodology of the action implementation was agreed with the representatives of protected areas and hunters associations (knowing well the area and experienced in identification of tracks) in October 2006, and the action itself was undertaken successfully during December 2006 and January 2007. Upon completion of the fieldwork all tracklog maps and the related forms containing data on the time and place of finding the tracks, the animal species, the length and direction of tracks followed and the number of animals tracked were forwarded to the State Institute for Nature Protection where they were consolidated and electronically processed. The data obtained were used to make an estimate of the wolf population size in the area studied and the results were presented to all participants of the action at the meetings mentioned.

In short, the action was implemented across the majority of hunting grounds and protected areas of Gorski kotar, Lika and Velebit (with snow in winter) and resulted in finding a total of 104 signs of the large carnivore presence - 97 wolf, 5 bear and 2 lynx tracks. As the small number of lynx and bear tracks found made it impossible to determine the population size, only the wolf population size was estimated at this occasion. It was estimated that the Gorski kotar area (the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar) was inhabited by 34 wolf individuals divided into 7 wolf packs and 3 "lone wolves", and the area of Velebit and Lika (the County of Lika-Senj and the County of Zadar) by 85-90 wolf individuals divided into 12 packs and 5-7 "lone wolves".  A summary estimate of the population size for the entire area studied indicates 130 individuals on average (about 120 of them divided into 19 packs and some 10 "lone wolves").

The participants in the action attending the presentation of results agreed about the estimate reached and concluded that such activities should be continued. Only a systematic monitoring of populations may help improve the methodology and yield more accurate results.