Researchers from the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology at Mendel University in Brno have successfully captured and fitted GPS telemetry collars on five female wolves in the Beskydy and Javorníky Mountains over the past two years. These collars enable scientists to collect high-resolution data on wolf spatial behaviour, feeding ecology, and interactions with human activity, using the most advanced methods in research of large carnivores. The intensive monitoring is part of two international projects: the Interreg Central Europe project LECA and the LIFE WILD WOLF project.
“GPS telemetry remains the most robust method for studying the spatiotemporal activity, feeding ecology, and interactions of wolves with human activities in altered landscape of Central Europe. The data we collect will offer deeper insight into wolf behaviour and ecology, and we hope it will support the development of effective strategies to minimize conflicts between humans and this apex predator, which is returning to areas where it had long been absent,” said Martin Duľa, leader of the capture team and coordinator of the LECA project at the Department of Forest Ecology, Mendel University in Brno.
As part of the monitoring effort, wolves of varying age and social status were collared. Three of the individuals are young dispersing females that are either seeking new territories or roaming between existing ones. The remaining two are resident females occupying stable territories as breeding individuals.
Tracking wolves of different age classes and social statuses is expected to generate a broad spectrum of insights – from territory size and prey composition to hunting intensity and interactions with livestock.
“In the LECA project, where the wolf is the flagship species of the Beskydy-Kysuce pilot, our work includes not only intensive population monitoring using genetics and camera traps but also assessing the level of human-wildlife conflict and testing prevention strategies. In addition to traditional deterrents like fladry – strips of fabric hung at intervals on a rope that create a visual and movement barrier known to deter wolves – we are also testing advanced technologies, such as proximity sensors and virtual fences,” Duľa explained.
Fladry has proven effective, particularly in the U.S., as a non-lethal method of deterring wolves from approaching livestock. The proximity sensors and virtual fencing systems allow GPS collars to collect data at higher frequencies when wolves approach predefined zones, such as livestock enclosures or human settlements. This provides near real-time information on wolf presence and offers more detailed data on wolf behaviour.
Another international initiative, LIFE WILD WOLF, focuses on investigating close encounters between wolves and humans and evaluating bold or habituated wolf behaviour across Europe, including the Czech-Slovak border region.“Telemetry data, public reports, and subsequent field investigations will help us better understand wolf behaviour in landscapes where they are reestablishing territories after a long absence. We encourage the public to report wolf sightings or activity near settlements by email at stopy@selmy.cz or by phone at +420 728 832 889,” said Miroslav Kutal, coordinator of the LIFE WILD WOLF project from the Department of Forest Ecology at Mendel University in Brno.
