Rewilding

[Jana]

Thats really interesting, I had no idea that the European wildcat had disappeared from the Czech Republic.

Why did it disappear ? was it overhunting, habitat destruction or disease outbreaks ?

A targeted pest eradication program started in 17th century that succeeded. Around year 1800, the very last wild cats in most remote areas got killed.

And complete habitat destruction on top of that. We don´t have any original primaveal forests, every last piece of land is economically used, a cultural landscape. Almost anywhere you will dig, you will find archeologic artifacts. Average distance between villages is less than 2 kilometers. Ca 1/3 of our agricultural land is drained by dense underground net of water pipes. Industry-scale fish farming was popular in 13th-16th century, building at least 180.000 hectares of artificial water reservoars, utilising and terramorfing the remaining less populated lowland forested or swampy areas (a favourite habitat of wild cat). Today our existing forests are still mostly hand-planted and intensivelly managed plantages of high-production timber trees, this was implemented by Maria Theresia laws introduced in years 1754-1756.

EDIT: to explain how we got wolves and lynx and wildcat - suitable areas again, you would have to look at our recent history. We Czechs have ethnically.cleansed the German minority after end of WWII (circa 2,5 million people were forced to escape at gunpoint just with pessonal belongings, ca 50.000 killed). Empty areas with former German villages were often turned into forests or military training grounds thus we have space for long-lost carnivores again.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

A targeted pest eradication program started in 17th century that succeeded. Around year 1800, the very last wild cats in most remote areas got killed.

And complete habitat destruction on top of that. We don´t have any original primaveal forests, every last piece of land is economically used, a cultural landscape. Almost anywhere you will dig, you will find archeologic artifacts. Average distance between villages is less than 2 kilometers. Ca 1/3 of our agricultural land is drained by dense underground net of water pipes. Industry-scale fish farming was popular in 13th-16th century, building at least 180.000 hectares of artificial water reservoars, utilising and terramorfing the remaining less populated lowland forested or swampy areas (a favourite habitat of wild cat). Today our existing forests are still mostly hand-planted and intensivelly managed plantages of high-production timber trees, this was implemented by Maria Theresia laws introduced in years 1754-1756.

EDIT: to explain how we got wolves and lynx and wildcat - suitable areas again, you would have to look at our recent history. We Czechs have ethnically.cleansed the German minority after end of WWII (circa 2,5 million people were forced to escape at gunpoint just with pessonal belongings, ca 50.000 killed). Empty areas with former German villages were often turned into forests or military training grounds thus we have space for long-lost carnivores again.

This is really interesting @Jana , I would never have imagined that the wildcat had gone extinct so comparatively early in your country. I suppose that prior to learning this I would have thought that they had always been there in the Czech forests long after larger carnivores like wolves, lynx and bears had disappeared.

Also, have to say , I didn't know anything about the ethnic cleansing of the German minority in the Czech Republic after WW2. I did know that the German population in the country had been very problematic before and during the invasion and occupation due to their support of the Nazis.

I also knew that Heydrich wanted to ethnically cleanse the Czech people as I have read a lot about operation anthropoid and the assasination of this Nazi figure over the years and in fact "operation daybreak" is one of my favourite films and I greatly admire Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik.

That said, I suppose I never really gave much thought as to what happened to the German population of the country after the war so I guess I've learned a bit more about that today.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Sorry Kifaru but they are potentially dangerous which is not to say that the old exagerated fairy tales and historic malignment of these animals as "the big bad wolf" have any truth or are at all justified.

Wolves do occasionally kill people and even in Europe as there have been documented historic cases of this as recently as the 1980's and 1970's in Spain.

Bears also can be potentially dangerous under certain circumstances too.

If so, could please give examples of these cases in Spain in historical times. The purported attacks in Europe wide in the last few decades are very few at best. I have been within striking distance myself of wolves in Western Europe including the big male of the pack and they all did a runner as fast as can be in the opposite direction.

NOTA BENE: Spanish wolves are among the most diminutive subspecies of continental European wolf subspecies around and usually hunt in pairs and packs remain small. Also, one of the most heavily persecuted populations yet with no possibility of wolves to reoccupy mid central Spain let alone Andalucia province (the rumour they occur there is been disqualified by wildlife biologists monitoring Iberian lynx ... with camera trapping. Over all the years no positive signs of wolves for well over a decade or more).

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

If so, could please give examples of these cases in Spain in historical times. The purported attacks in Europe wide in the last few decades are very few at best. I have been within striking distance myself of wolves in Western Europe including the big male of the pack and they all did a runner as fast as can be in the opposite direction.

NOTA BENE: Spanish wolves are among the most diminutive subspecies of continental European wolf subspecies around and usually hunt in pairs and packs remain small. Also, one of the most heavily persecuted populations yet with no possibility of wolves to reoccupy mid central Spain let alone Andalucia province (the rumour they occur there is been disqualified by wildlife biologists monitoring Iberian lynx ... with camera trapping. Over all the years no positive signs of wolves for well over a decade or more).

Yes, of course.

There have been four fatal attacks on humans since the mid 20th century in Spain,all of these occurred in Galicia in North-Western Spain and the animal in both cases appears to have been a female wolf.

From 1957 to 1959 there was what was known as the "Vimianzo episode". The first attack occured near the village of Vilare and was by a female wolf on two five year old boys , one of which named Luiz Vazquez Perez was fatally killed. The second attack occurred one year later in the village of Tines and was also on another five year old boy, named Manuel Suarez who was attacked and severely wounded but adults heard his screams and rescued him. The third attack occured in the village of Trasufre a year later in 1959 once again by a wolf which attacked two four year boys, one of which named Manuel Sar Pazos was fatally killed. The "Vimianzo episode" / attacks around this area of Galicia stopped when two wolves were shot and killed in 1959. One of these was a female that matched the descriptions of those who had witnessed the attacks.


The "Rante episode" occurred in 1974 and began with a non fatal attack on a 13 year old girl. The next day an 11 month old child named Jose Tomas Martinez Perez who was lying next to a group of agricultural workers in a field was snatched by a wolf and fatally killed. Six days later a three year old boy named Javier Iglesias Balbin was snatched away from his grandmother and killed and his carcass eventually found 250 meters away in some woodlands. Poisoned bait was placed in areas where the wolf had been spotted by locals by the Guardia Civil police and four days later the dead body of a female lactating wolf was found and the attacks stopped, the wolf was not rabid but did have a severe parasite infection. A den with pups was found to be located 6 km within all of the attack sites and it appears from the scat that the wolf had been feeding on chickens from local farms.

This info is detailed in a very good and comprehensive paper on human-wolf conflict and attacks by wolves on people called "The fear of wolves: A review of wolf attacks on humans" by John D.C. Linnell.

Here is a link to the paper:

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_wolves_A_review_of_wolf_attacks_on_humans

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

If so, could please give examples of these cases in Spain in historical times. The purported attacks in Europe wide in the last few decades are very few at best. I have been within striking distance myself of wolves in Western Europe including the big male of the pack and they all did a runner as fast as can be in the opposite direction.

NOTA BENE: Spanish wolves are among the most diminutive subspecies of continental European wolf subspecies around and usually hunt in pairs and packs remain small. Also, one of the most heavily persecuted populations yet with no possibility of wolves to reoccupy mid central Spain let alone Andalucia province (the rumour they occur there is been disqualified by wildlife biologists monitoring Iberian lynx ... with camera trapping. Over all the years no positive signs of wolves for well over a decade or more).

Again, I'm not actually suggesting that wolves are inherently aggressive towards humans or that attacks are common.

All I am saying is that wolf attacks and even fatal ones do occasionally happen and that is just the reality of things which I do not think should either be swept under the carpet by people pro-wolf reintroduction/ rewilding nor by the anti-wolf hunters / livestock owners.

Incidentally, I have looked for wolves in Northern Spain (unsuccessfully with wolves but successfully with bears and Eurasian wildcat) with a friend of mine, David, who runs an eco-tour business for wolf / bear watching in Asturias and has spent many hours in the field watching these animals and never had any problem:

 

[Smaggledagle]

Back in August 2020, the Nakoda and Aaniiih tribes of Montana have reintroduced the swift fox to the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northern Montana. Swift foxes have been gone from that area for more than 50 years.

The population number at time of release was 27.

Tribes Reintroduce Swift Fox to Northern Montana's Fort Belknap Reservation | At the Smithsonian | Smithsonian Magazine

 

[Jana]

That said, I suppose I never really gave much thought as to what happened to the German population of the country after the war so I guess I've learned a bit more about that today.

The whole 20th century was pretty ****** time period for almost everybody living in this part of Europe. My family had its fair share too.

Here is the latest published map of wolves rewilding themselves in CZ. Four new territories and 1 new pack compared to the previous year. Red = pack with cubs. Blue = a pair.

That blue elipse "Vlčí pár Doupovské hory" shows the place I talked about, army training area "Hradiště" - 280 km2 devoid of stable human settlement. It got its first wolf cubs and wild-cat cubs in summer 2020. Would be total interesting if somebody would do a research how such sudden addition of two top predators impacts local ecosystem.

 

[Pertinax]

Yes, of course.

There have been four fatal attacks on humans since the mid 20th century in Spain,all of these occurred in Galicia in North-Western Spain and the animal in both cases appears to have been a female wolf.

From 1957 to 1959 there was what was known as the "Vimianzo episode". The first attack occured near the village of Vilare and was by a female wolf on two five year old boys , one of which named Luiz Vazquez Perez was fatally killed. The second attack occurred one year later in the village of Tines and was also on another five year old boy, named Manuel Suarez who was attacked and severely wounded but adults heard his screams and rescued him. The third attack occured in the village of Trasufre a year later in 1959 once again by a wolf which attacked two four year boys, one of which named Manuel Sar Pazos was fatally killed. The "Vimianzo episode" / attacks around this area of Galicia stopped when two wolves were shot and killed in 1959. One of these was a female that matched the descriptions of those who had witnessed the attacks.


The "Rante episode" occurred in 1974 and began with a non fatal attack on a 13 year old girl. The next day an 11 month old child named Jose Tomas Martinez Perez who was lying next to a group of agricultural workers in a field was snatched by a wolf and fatally killed. Six days later a three year old boy named Javier Iglesias Balbin was snatched away from his grandmother and killed and his carcass eventually found 250 meters away in some woodlands. Poisoned bait was placed in areas where the wolf had been spotted by locals by the Guardia Civil police and four days later the dead body of a female lactating wolf was found and the attacks stopped, the wolf was not rabid but did have a severe parasite infection. A den with pups was found to be located 6 km within all of the attack sites and it appears from the scat that the wolf had been feeding on chickens from local farms.

This info is detailed in a very good and comprehensive paper on human-wolf conflict and attacks by wolves on people called "The fear of wolves: A review of wolf attacks on humans" by John D.C. Linnell.

Here is a link to the paper:

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_wolves_A_review_of_wolf_attacks_on_humans

I find this very interesting. It seems these incidents were mainly opportunistic killings where the wolf snatched smaller/defenceless children which were within the normal 'prey size' as it were...rather than e.g. full-out attacks on adult people. And caused by one or two untypical individuals learning a habit, like a man-killer in big cats. Not to be dismissed obviously but it appears it was aberrant behaviour perhaps or caused by extreme hunger and the increased urge to feed pups.


I've often fancied going wolf watching in Spain but I know that considering the cost, the % chance of success is limited and when sightings occur they are normally at long distance, so am always put off doing it. I certainly wouldn't have any fear of them!

 

[Pertinax]

NOTA BENE: Spanish wolves are among the most diminutive subspecies of continental European wolf subspecies around

It was only a few years ago I finally got to see Spanish Wolf in a zoo. I was actually surprised at how big they were- I was expecting something smaller. Size-wise they seemed comparable with any other European wolf- though the sandy brown colouration is quite different.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I find this very interesting. It seems these incidents were mainly opportunistic killings where the wolf snatched smaller/defenceless children which were within the normal 'prey size' as it were...rather than e.g. full-out attacks on adult people. And caused by one or two untypical individuals learning a habit, like a man-killer in big cats. Not to be dismissed obviously but it appears it was aberrant behaviour perhaps or caused by extreme hunger and the increased urge to feed pups.


I've often fancied going wolf watching in Spain but I know that considering the cost, the % chance of success is limited and when sightings occur they are normally at long distance, so am always put off doing it. I certainly wouldn't have any fear of them!

It isn't that expensive to wolf watch in Spain if you know the right people, the videos I posted are from my friend David who runs very affordable trips to watch Iberian wolves, Cantabrian brown bears, Eurasian wildcat and otters in Asturias.

In terms of the guarantee of seeing wolves, it really depends on the season because when these animals have pups they become very elusive, but there are very high chances during the summer and autumn seasons.

Again in terms of distance it depends and you can have quite close encounters with these animals but even if spotted over large distances a decent scope can be an excellent way of watching these animals in the wild.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I find this very interesting. It seems these incidents were mainly opportunistic killings where the wolf snatched smaller/defenceless children which were within the normal 'prey size' as it were...rather than e.g. full-out attacks on adult people. And caused by one or two untypical individuals learning a habit, like a man-killer in big cats. Not to be dismissed obviously but it appears it was aberrant behaviour perhaps or caused by extreme hunger and the increased urge to feed pups.

Yes, absolutely agree with you that these were opportunistic killings and aberrant behaviour for these wolves and very rare events indeed.

In the second case that occurred in the 1970's it would appear that the wolf responsible for the killings had pups, was suffering from a severe parasite infection that could of impeded hunting natural prey and had become habituated to people and human settlements through raiding chicken runs.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Yes, absolutely agree with you that these were opportunistic killings and aberrant behaviour for these wolves and very rare events indeed.

In the second case that occurred in the 1970's it would appear that the wolf responsible for the killings had pups, was suffering from a severe parasite infection that could of impeded hunting natural prey and had become habituated to people and human settlements through raiding chicken runs.

I think indeed opportunistic incidents might occur with occasional killings, but invariably this indicated these are health wise related (as above or rabid which was an issue in the past).

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I think indeed opportunistic incidents might occur with occasional killings, but invariably this indicated these are health wise related (as above or rabid which was an issue in the past).

Yes, totally agree with this, that the majority of wolf attacks both in the current day and historically in the 20th and late 19th century occurred due to either rabies, wolves that were reacting to the presence of people around pups / dens or wolves that for whatever reason were no longer able to effectively hunt etc.

Also historically the likelihood of the incidence of wolf attacks and killing of people seems to go up exponentially in times when there was some huge underlying ecological disequilibrium due to anthropogenic stressors such as overhunting / decimation of the population of prey, habitat destruction and wars.

Historically acts of predation on humans in Europe and particularly in France seemed to occur in rural areas where people and specifically children were acting as shepherds or guards of flocks of livestock like cattle, sheep and goats.

I think that the consensus is that the underlying ecological causes / drivers of these attacks would have probably been due to scarcity or absence of other prey because of anthropogenic stressors.

 

[Pertinax]

Again in terms of distance it depends and you can have quite close encounters with these animals but even if spotted over large distances a decent scope can be an excellent way of watching these animals in the wild.

Yes, I've seen various videos of wolf watching trips, a scope seems an essential but given their nervous/alertness that isn't surprising.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Yes, I've seen various videos of wolf watching trips, a scope seems an essential but given their nervous/alertness that isn't surprising.

I didn't manage to see any wolves myself though I did see evidence of them around and heard them very distantly at night but it was the wrong season and had I gone in summer or autumn I have little doubt that I would have been successful in seeing them.

In that area of Spain the large predators that you do stand a very very high chance of seeing are the Cantabrian brown bears.

 

[Jurek7]

Not at all comparable @Jurek7 , these countries that you are referring to are European mainland countries (not an island) with far more forrested habitat for wolves than Great Britain has.

Wolves need no forest. They live in treeless habitats if there are wild ungulates (like deer) to eat.

I find this very interesting. It seems these incidents were mainly opportunistic killings where the wolf snatched smaller/defenceless children which were within the normal 'prey size' as it were...rather than e.g. full-out attacks on adult people.

Yes, this is also conclusion of the 2002 seminal report: "most attacks have been by rabid wolves, predatory attacks are aimed mainly children". They happened rarely in particular historical circumstances: when children guarded cattle or goats grazed in forests alone, wild ungulates were hunted to zero by humans, and wolves lived hunting and scavenging domestic animals. These times passed, and currently children commonly pick berries, go fishing or swimming in forest lakes alone in Poland or Scandinavia, without thinking of wolves.

"There are currently estimated 10,000-20,000 wolves in Europe, 40,000 in Russian and 60,000 in North America. Even with this number of wolves we only managed to find records of 4 people killed in Europe, 4 in Russia and none in North America by non-rabid wolves during the last 50 years. Respective figures for rabies cases are 5, greater than 4 and zero". My guess is, since the report was published in 2002, there were no more cases, despite futher growth of wolf population.

https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/2002.Review.wolf.attacks.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_wolves_A_review_of_wolf_attacks_on_humans

Yes, I've seen various videos of wolf watching trips, a scope seems an essential but given their nervous/alertness that isn't surprising.

Wait, aren't wild wolves dangerous, as some people implied? Then how one cannot even see them close when looking for them?

The company europesbig5 finds wolves on every single trip to SE Poland, and for the last few years they also manage to show wild lynx to the clients. Bison are also always seen. I don't know them personally but you can check their website.

EDIT: to explain how we got wolves and lynx and wildcat - suitable areas again, you would have to look at our recent history.

What you describe in Czechia mirrors return of wildcat to Germany. Wildcats in recent decades recolonized many areas of Germany where they were extinct. Most wildcats in Germany are purebred and maintain their population (in contrary to the long belief among naturalists circles that only/almost exclusively hybrids with domestic cats survive). Wildcats do not need natural forests or especially large or swampy forests, they prefer forest and forest edge with dense undergrowth of bushes or similar cover. They avoid both old-growth forest with no understorey and open meadows.There are many useful links starting from there:
Verbreitung in Deutschland - BUND NRW

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Wolves need no forest. They live in treeless habitats if there are wild ungulates (like deer) to eat.



Yes, this is also conclusion of the 2002 seminal report: "most attacks have been by rabid wolves, predatory attacks are aimed mainly children". They happened rarely in particular historical circumstances: when children guarded cattle or goats grazed in forests alone, wild ungulates were hunted to zero by humans, and wolves lived hunting and scavenging domestic animals. These times passed, and currently children commonly pick berries, go fishing or swimming in forest lakes alone in Poland or Scandinavia, without thinking of wolves.

"There are currently estimated 10,000-20,000 wolves in Europe, 40,000 in Russian and 60,000 in North America. Even with this number of wolves we only managed to find records of 4 people killed in Europe, 4 in Russia and none in North America by non-rabid wolves during the last 50 years. Respective figures for rabies cases are 5, greater than 4 and zero". My guess is, since the report was published in 2002, there were no more cases, despite futher growth of wolf population.

https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/2002.Review.wolf.attacks.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._of_wolves_A_review_of_wolf_attacks_on_humans



Wait, aren't wild wolves dangerous, as some people implied? Then how one cannot even see them close when looking for them?

The company europesbig5 finds wolves on every single trip to SE Poland, and for the last few years they also manage to show wild lynx to the clients. Bison are also always seen. I don't know them personally but you can check their website.



What you describe in Czechia mirrors return of wildcat to Germany. There are many useful links starting from there:
Verbreitung in Deutschland - BUND NRW

Wildcats in recent decades recolonized many areas of Germany where they were extinct. Most wildcats in Germany are purebred and maintain their population (in contrary to the long belief among naturalists circles that only/almost exclusively hybrids with domestic cats survive). Wildcats do not need natural forests or especially large or swampy forests, they prefer forest and forest edge with dense undergrowth of bushes or similar cover. They avoid both old-growth forest with no understorey and open meadows.

@Jurek7 I admire that you are an out of the box thinker but come on...

Human-wildlife conflict is already present in the UK and fiercely controversial / polemical when it comes to the red fox with a strong divide between rural and urban populations on the subject of fox hunting , fox predation of poultry / livestock, the need for culling etc.

If there is such a fierce and seemingly intractable conflict about the humble red fox how on earth can people even begin to contemplate adding grey wolves through rewilding / reintroduction to the mix in the UK ?

It seems like the most foolish irresponsible and mickey mouse idea ever when it comes to conservation of biodiversity in the UK IMO.

Human-wildlife conflict and the sharp divide between rural and urban populations on the subject of grey wolves is present and entrenched everywhere where the species is extant or reintroduced like US, Canada, Mexico, Scandinavian countries, Spain, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia etc.

If wolves are reintroduced to the UK you can bet that there will be an immediate backlash and resistance from rural farming communities against such plans, protests, lobbying, sabotage, animals shot or poisoned in large numbers etc. That is just the enormous and insurmountable human dimensions that would need to be tackled in such rewilding plans.

The ecological ones in my opinion are a whole different ball game and I don't think there is any compelling evidence to suggest that current environmental conditions in the country could support free roaming populations of wolves.

The whole thing IMO is a load of hot air / non-issue that is generated by misplaced romanticism by poetic thinkers like Monbiot and / or academics in their ivory towers to cynically publish papers.

 

[Pertinax]

Wait, aren't wild wolves dangerous, as some people implied? Then how one cannot even see them close when looking for them?

Some years ago I read a post by Edinburgh Zoo on their website about the true nature of the Wolf, which I liked a lot- in the Fairy Story; little Red Riding Hood travels through the forest to see her grandmother, on the way she is attacked by a big bad wolf disguised as something or other. In Reality- little Red Riding Hood travels through the forest to see her grandmother, the wolf smells her and by the time RRH safely arrives at her grandmother's house, it is three miles away...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Some years ago I read a post by Edinburgh Zoo on their website about the true nature of the Wolf, which I liked a lot- in the Fairy Story; little Red Riding Hood travels through the forest to see her grandmother, on the way she is attacked by a big bad wolf disguised as something or other. In Reality- little Red Riding Hood travels through the forest to see her grandmother, the wolf smells her and by the time RRH arrives at her grandmother's house, it is three miles away...

Somehow I am being quoted for the comment by @Jurek7

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

As far as I can see there are several lupine battles that are truly worth fighting in terms of wolf conservation.

These would be:

• Rewilding / reintroduction of wolves to countries where environmental conditions do support their return in areas such as the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts in Mexico etc.

• The continued conservation of extant populations of wolves in countries such as Spain, Italy and regions such as Scandinavia, US and the Indian subcontinent.

• In the conservation of grey wolves that are naturally recolonising lost historical range such as is happening across Western Europe.