The Return of Wolves to the Czech Republic

In the year 2014 after a hundred years of absence wolves came back to Bohemia (Bohemia is a large western part of the Czech Republic). Wolves coming from the border region of Poland and Germany settled in a wonderful landscape of the Macha County in the Central Bohemia. The territory of our wolves consits of large forests and deep marshlands with magnificent rounded hills and sharp rocky peaks rising over the landscape. Here our first wolf pack annually raises their pups.

Since the return of wolves we call this part of our country the Wolf Mountains.

 

 

 

Read more: The Return of Wolves to the Czech Republic

Wolf Population in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic wolves were extirpated during nineteenth century. Last wolf in the Sumava, mountains which we can find in the West of the Czech republic, was shot in 1874. In the Beskydy Mountains in the eastern part of the Czech Republic last wolf was shot in 1914. But in Slovakia wolves survived. Today about 400 wolves live in Slovakia and after 80 years of absence, in 1994 wolves started to migrate from Slovakia to the Beskydy Mountains in the Czech Republic.

Now, in the year 2013, the number of wolves who live in the Beskydy Mountains is still estimated only from three to five roaming wolves. There is no permanent wolf pack living in the Beskydy Mountains.

Read more: Wolf Population in the Czech Republic

Biofence - a new way how to protect livestock against wolf attack

Collecting wolf scat for biofence research

 

.... along these lines, Wolf Haven International will play a critical role in an experimental program to prevent potential wolf depredation on livestock this year. Wolf Haven Intl. was contacted by the WDFW to collect wolf scat to be used to construct a biofence to prevent depredation on livestock by wolves. A biofence is an invisible barrier to wolf packs; wolf scat and/or urine is strategically placed around an area needing protection from wolf depredation. Since wolves are strongly territorial, any wolves that come in contact with the scent of a different wolf or group of wolves is hesitant to cross into that territory. This technique originated in Africa to keep wild dogs out of villages, with excellent results. In 2010, this technique was used in Idaho with mixed results; two out of three wolf packs were successfully deterred from depredating livestock when a biofence was constructed around the livestock. We are excited to be part of a project that will hopefully prevent wild wolf deaths, and give livestock producers and the WDFW yet another tool to keep our recovering wolves on the landscape.

 

Wolf Haven International

 

 

Pilot study report for Using a biofence to manipulate wolf pack movements in central Idaho (format .pdf, 1.6 MB)

author: David Ausband

souce: The University of Montana