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Strona 4 z 5
2.
The wolf Canis lupus has in the past occurred throughout Eurasia, North
America and northern Africa. At present it is an endangered species in
some areas. In Poland, the Bieszczady population is the most numerous of
all at some 100 individuals. The wolf can reach length of 100–150 cm,
and the height at the shoulder of 78–85 cm. The male wolf is usually
larger than the female.
In
the reproductive season the wolves stay permanently in their territory,
migrating over high distances throughout the rest of the year. The
female gives birth to 4–7 pups in April. In the weaning period the male
provides all food, while later the pair hunt and look after the pups in
turns. In autumn the families are joined by young wolves from the
previous year’s litter, forming a pack of mostly 6–9 individuals, which
migrates and hunts together throughout winter. The discipline and
internal organisation in such packs translates into high efficient
hunting.
The main prey of
the wolf are large herbivorous ungulates: red deer, roe deer and wild
boars. It is principally the weak, young or sick animals which fall prey
to the wolves. In winter, when snow makes escape more difficult, even
adult ungulates may be hunted. The daily portion of meat for a wolf is
estimated to be some 3–5 kg. In leaner times, the wolf will satisfy
itself with carrion, birds and even frogs. The wolf kills domestic
animals too: sheep and dogs that may be even be snatched from the chain
within a farm.
Man has
always tried to exterminate wolves. In the Bieszczady and Beskid Niski
mountains a concerted campaign against wolves was conducted in the
1960s. The wolf was not even a game species then. Anyone could hunt
these animals using any method, and a reward was paid for each killed
animal. A dramatic drop in the wolf population numbers resulted in an
excessive increase in deer populations which began to cause significant
damage to forests, destroying young trees and forest cultures. The
condition of individuals in the deer population deteriorated as man
turned out to be much worse in selective culling than the wolf. Until
1995 the wolf was a game species throughout Poland, which meant hunting
according to planned quotas and also the existence of mandatory
off-hunting seasons. In 1995, the wolf was declared a protected species
except for the Krosno, Przemysl and Suwalki regions. In 1998, a
three-year ban on hunting wolves was introduced also in these three
provinces previously excluded from the legal protection of the species.
In
1994–1996 the ranges of the wolf packs were successfully identified in
the Park and its buffer zone. Five packs were found with an estimated
total number of wolves of around 65 animals (Smietana, Wajda 1997). The
Bieszczady National Parks has the protection of large predators as one
of its main objectives (cf. Glowacinski [ed.] 2000).
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Bieszczadzki
Vertebrate fauna 
