Helping wolves in Bulgaria

Wolf Study and Conservation Program

Balkan Wildlife Society, Bulgaria
Progress report
September-December, 2002

The activities of the Wolf Study and Conservation Program in the last months of 2002 were concentrated in:
- field work for wolf status analysis;
- education activities about the wolf and the other large carnivores of Bulgaria

Wolf analysis
Wolf analysis is an ongoing project being carried out in two study areas, Kraishte and the Pirin Mountains. Kraishte is a low mountainous area located in Middle-west Bulgaria. The Pirin Mountains region is located in South-west Bulgaria and has one of the two highest mountains in Bulgaria, with typical alpine characteristics.

In September and October the last three trap-lines for the year were set. However no wolves were trapped during the whole year. Trapping wolves is done with the purpose of radio-collaring. With the help of radio-tracking, exact data about territory use, activity, migrations etc. can be obtained. The trapping activities will continue intensively during 2003.

Intensive wolf tracking was started as soon as the first snow came. Snow-tracking continues permanently during the whole snowy period but it is also done in rainy (muddy) periods of the year. Again, it gives information about territory use by wolves, the number of individuals inhabiting certain area, the density of the population in an area, plus age structure, etc.

Another important analytical task for studying wolves in Bulgaria is scat analysis. About 60 wolf scats were collected from the study areas and a some of them have already been analysed. This analysis gives good information about the diet of the species in the working areas. According to the analysis from 2002, wolves in the Kraishte area have very diverse diet, including some species not very typical as wolf prey. Except for roe deer, wild boar and hare (which are the main wolf diet in this part of the country) remains of small mammals like badger Meles meles, some Martens and even dogs were also found in wolf scats. In this area the occurence of domestic animals in the wolf diet is comparatively high. In half of the analysed scats, remains of sheep, goats and cattle, etc. were found.

Wolf-human interactions have been monitored since the beginning of the project. This year an inquiry was conducted again among livestock breeders in Kraishte area. (Wolf activity involving livestock is also monitored). Data comparison shows that in the period 1999 to date, wolf attacks on livestock have decreased significantly.

Education activities
The school education program designed in 1999 by BALKANI, is being implemented again during this school year. It is being carried out in 50 schools throughout West Bulgaria. The materials included are two study books; one for II and III grade and another for IV and V grade in elementary schools. Older pupils see slide shows and photo exhibitions and receive other printed materials like posters, stickers, etc. In April and May our education team is going to visit these schools again and will carry out practical education activities with pupils.

The media are also being brought into the project as a tool for promoting concern about the species and for changing public attitude towards a more positive stance. Articles are also regularly written for Bulgarian and foreign magazines and TV programmes prepared and shown on national TV.