Ilka Reinhardt, Gesa Kluth, Sabina Nowak and Robert W. Mysłajek A review of wolf management in Poland and Germany with recommendations for future transboundary collaboration BfN-Skripten 356 2013 A review of wolf management in Poland and Germany with recommendations for future transboundary collaboration Ilka Reinhardt Gesa Kluth Sabina Nowak Robert W. Mysłajek Cover picture: top: 4 month old wolf pup of the Seenland pack in a former coal mining area (S. Koerner); middle: green bridge over a highway in Western Poland (Association for Nature “Wolf”); down: livestock guarding dogs in combination with electric fences are an effective method to prevent wolf attacks on sheep (LUPUS, Wildlife Consulting) Author’s addresses: Ilka Reinhardt LUPUS, Wildlife Consulting Gesa Kluth Dorfstraße 16, 02979 Spreewitz, Germany Sabina Nowak Association for Nature "Wolf" Robert Mysłajek Twardorzeczka 229, 34-324 Lipowa, Poland Client: German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) Project Management: Harald Martens Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Unit II 1.1 “Wildlife Conservation” The present paper is the final report of the contract „A Review of wolf management in Poland and Germany with recommendations for future transboundary collaboration“ (reference No.: N I 3 -45031 POL/0), financed by the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear safety (BMU). Contract period: 01.11.2011 - 31.03.2012 This publication is included in the literature database “DNL-online” (www.dnl-online.de) BfN-Skripten are not available in book trade but can be downloaded in a pdf version from the internet at: http://www.bfn.de/0502_skripten.html Publisher: Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN) Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Konstantinstrasse 110 53179 Bonn, Germany URL: http://www.bfn.de All rights reserved by BfN The publisher takes no guarantee for correctness, details and completeness of statements and views in this report as well as no guarantee for respecting private rights of third parties. Views expressed in the papers published in this issue of BfN-Skripten are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the copyright owner. Printed by the printing office of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Printed on 100% recycled paper. ISBN 978-3-89624-091-0 Bonn, Germany 2013 Contents List of figures ............................................................................................................................ 3 List of tables ............................................................................................................................. 3 1. Summary/Streszczenie/Zusammenfassung ...................................................................... 4 2. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 9 3. Conservation status of wolf populations in Europe, Poland and Germany ..................... 11 3.1 Europe ..................................................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 Historical outline ............................................................................................... 11 3.1.2 Current distribution and conservation status in Europe .................................... 14 3.2 Poland ...................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Overview on re-colonalisation of wolves in Poland ........................................... 21 3.2.2 Current wolf distribution and population numbers in Poland ............................ 22 3.2.3 Polish wolf population from a continental perspective ...................................... 23 3.2.4 Transboundry wolf populations ......................................................................... 24 3.3 Germany .................................................................................................................. 24 3.3.1 Overview of re-colonalisation of wolves in Germany ........................................ 24 3.3.2 Current distribution and population number of wolves in Germany .................. 25 3.3.3 Wolves in Germany from a continental perspective ......................................... 26 3.4 Threats to wolves ..................................................................................................... 26 3.4.1 Threats to wolves in Europe ............................................................................. 26 3.4.2 Threats to and conflicts with wolves in Poland - needs for wolf conservation and management in Poland ................................................................................................... 28 3.4.3 Threats to and conflicts with wolves in Germany .............................................. 34 4. Legal aspects of wolf management in the EU, Poland and Germany ............................. 37 4.1 Legal aspects of wolf management in the EU .......................................................... 37 4.2 Poland ...................................................................................................................... 40 4.3 Germany .................................................................................................................. 43 5. Scientific and technical aspects of wolf management in the EU, Poland and Germany . 45 5.1 Scientific and technical aspects of wolf management in the EU .............................. 45 5.2 Poland ...................................................................................................................... 49 5.3 Germany .................................................................................................................. 65 6. Wolf management plans and conservation measures of Poland and Germany ............. 75 6.1 Poland ...................................................................................................................... 75 1 6.2 Germany .................................................................................................................. 76 6.3 Synopsis and assessment of compatibilities and differences .................................. 79 7. Recommendations for future transboundary collaboration ............................................. 82 Acknowledgment .................................................................................................................... 88 Literature ................................................................................................................................ 89 Appendix 1. Template for a transboundary management plan from the Guidelines for Population level Management plans for Large Carnivores in Europe (Linnell et al. 2008) ... 102 Appendix 2. Natura 2000 sites protecting wolf habitats in Poland ....................................... 106 Appendix 3. Monitoring of wolves in Poland and Germany .................................................. 109 2 List of figures Fig. 1: Forest tracks in Poland where wolves were recorded in the first half of the 20th century. ................................................................................................................................. 13 Fig. 2: Wolf distribution in Poland at the beginning of 2012. .................................................. 23 Fig. 3: Development of wolf population size in Germany. .................................................... 25 Fig. 4: Wolf occurrence in Germany, 2011/2012. .................................................................. 26 Fig. 5: Locations of wolves poached in Poland, 1998-2012. ................................................ 31 Fig. 6: Locations where wolves were killed on roads and railways in Poland, 2000-2011. ... 32 Fig. 7: Wolves found dead between 1990 and April 2012 in Germany. ................................ 35 Fig. 8: Natura 2000 sites protecting wolf habitats in Poland. ............................................... 59 Fig. 9: Natura 2000 sites protecting wolf habitats in Poland set against wolf distribution. .... 59 Fig. 10: Network of ecological corridors in Poland (according to Jędrzejewski et al. 2005c). 61 Fig. 11: Compensation paid to farmers for damage caused by wolves in Poland, 2000-2010. The numbers for 2005 - 2007 are not available. .................................................................... 63 Fig. 12: Number of damages caused by wolves (above) and compensation payment (below) in Germany. .......................................................................................................................... 71 Fig. 13: Raw distribution of the Central Europen wolf population in March 2012. ................. 81 List of tables Tab. 1: Wolf populations in Europe and number of (wolves) packs in European countries. .. 17 Tab. 2: Causes of wolf mortality in Germany. ........................................................................ 35 Tab. 3: Derogations from the Polish Nature Conservation Act to shoot wolves in Poland, 2008 - 2012. ........................................................................................................................... 42 Tab. 4: Wolf population in