engleski

After protection : the illegal killing of wolves swells

The low numbers of, at that time unprotected, wolves killed per year (mean <5) in late 1980s and early 1990s alarmed us to start the protection campaign. However, six were already killed in the "1994 - the year of wolf in Croatia" only in Gorski kotar (western portion of range). The legal protection of May 1995 triggered even bigger killing. Probably 15 wolves were killed in the first year of protected status. As proves, the bodies of 7 wolves have been retrieved. In spite of so high mortality the requests for permits to kill 15 wolves in southern and 6 wolves in western Croatia have been officially raised. The Croatian Wolf Group is struggling to promote highly critical and scientific approach to such demands. Concurrently, about 140 damage compensation requests claiming 300 killed sheep and other domestic animals have been issued in southern portion of wolf range. It was told that wolf have no natural prey there. In western portion of wolf range, where there is very few sheep, some 113 killed hoofed game animals have been reported as wolf "damage" and used as a basis for request to kill additional 6 wolves. We knew that it might be easier to get wolves legally protected than to save them in practice but the problems exploded beyond expectations.

wolf; research; Croatia; protection; mortality

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