engleski

Large carnivores and traffic in Croatia

Roads and railroads are causing habitat fragmentation, disturbance and direct mortality to all three species of large carnivores in Croatia. The traffic is becoming faster, silencer and denser, and the number of traffic lines is increasing. Traffic kills in Croatia comprised: 19% of total European brown bear (Ursus arctos) mortality in the period 1986-94, 6.6% of lynx (Lynx lynx) mortality in the period 1978-95, and 3.3% of wolf (Canis lupus) mortality since 1945. At least 73 European brown bears (Ursus arctos) have been killed by traffic in Gorski kotar, Croatia in the last 33 years (1963 - 1995). Fifty-one (71%) were killed on railroad Zagreb - Rijeka and 21 (29%) on roads of Gorski kotar. Fifty-six (53%) were males, 32 (47%) were females. Thirty-one bears (48%) were <2 years, 34 (52%) were >2 years. Six cases were recorded where train killed more than one bear at the same time. There is an increasing trend of traffic induced mortality in bears; it used to be 11% until 1985. Only 3 (30%) of 10 lynxes killed by traffic died on railroads. Seventy percent were females and 30% males. Seventy percent were subadults and 30% adults. Only 1 (5.3%) of 19 wolves killed by traffic died on railroads. Thirty-nine percent were females and 61% males. Most of them were full grown young. We analyzed the microsite topography and cover and general corridors of animal movements. It was concluded that the local topography had only indirect influence on the selection of traffic accidents, i.e. steeper and more forested sites were less settled and therefore were more used as animals traveling corridors. Three main corridors were determined to be cut by the traffic lines. Green bridges were proposed to reduce the conflict with traffic.

bear. wolf. lynx; traffic kills; Croatia

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