Legislation
Wolves have been fully protected in most of Poland since 1995 and in all of the country since 1998. According to the Animals Protection Act (2004) wolves are strictly protected and require a temporary (from 1st April to 15th July) 500 m protection zones around dens where pups are raised. However, the Minister of Environment can allow the killing of individual wolves that are responsible for regular damage to livestock or pose a threat to humans.
Number and distribution of wolves in Poland
Before 2001, data on wolf occurrence and numbers in the country was provided by hunting inventories, which frequently overestimated numbers by as much as 100%. Since 2001, a regular large-scale census of wolf and lynx populations, co-ordinated by AfN WOLF and the Mammal Research Institute PAS in Białowieża, has been conducted for the whole of Poland, in close co-operation with foresters from all forest divisions. Between 2001 and 2006 a slight increase in the number and range of the wolf population was recorded. Currently, according to the census, there are around 650 wolves in Poland. Their distribution is limited to North Eastern, Eastern and Southern parts of the country. In Central and Western Poland only a few isolated packs or migrating individuals have been recorded.
The Polish wolf population makes up the western-most range of a large, continuous eastern European wolf population, which has retained a high genetic diversity. In other areas of occurrence of this species in Europe, e.g. Spain, Italy, France or Sweden, populations are more isolated, limited in number and genetic diversity, and very sensitive to environmental change. Poland, due to its location in the central part of Europe, is one of the most important refuges of this carnivore, and is an important source of dispersing individuals to regions where it was eradicated many years ago. Analyses of changes in wolf range in the twentieth century, genetic studies on wolves in Poland, radiotelemetry and GIS analyses showed that wolf migration and dispersal in Poland occurs along migration corridors, from east to west. These findings resulted in a project of protection of migration corridors for big terrestrial mammals in Poland.
Problems of wolf conservation
Studies conducted in Poland reported that wolves require large areas to function. In the Bialowieża Forest wolf pack territories can cover 200-300 km2, and in the Carpathians 100-150 km2. Analyses have shown that it is not possible to preserve a viable population of these predators entirely within protected sites, as the areas are too small. Therefore long-term conservation of this species needs to focus on managed forests, which make up 28% of the area of Poland. The majority of wolf territories include forests, where the impact of intensive logging, tourism and recreation is visible. Recently the wolf habitats and migration corridors have been seriously threatened with disruption by rapid development of transport infrastracture to ensure the effective connection of Poland with other EU countries through the Trans-European Transportation Network (TEN-T).
Wolf Depredation in Poland
Wolves in Poland feed mostly on wild ungulates, which constitute up to 98% of the biomass eaten. Domestic animals contribute approximately 2-3% of biomass to the wolf’s diet, but less than half of Polish wolf packs prey on livestock. Where livestock are taken, wolves most frequently prey on sheep and goats (in mountains), and cattle (in lowlands), and occasionally on dogs and horses. Depredation occurs mainly at night and in early morning on pastures close to forests when domestic animals remain without sufficient supervision. Attacks peak in August-October, coinciding with the period when the susceptibility of juvenile wild ungulates to wolf predation decreases, nutrition requirements of growing wolf pups increase and weather conditions worsen, helping wolves to stalk flocks and to stay inconspicuous to shepherds.
Compensation system in Poland
In Poland, damage caused by wolves is compensated by the State. Heads of Nature Conservation Departments in every Polish province are responsible for damage assessment and payment of compensation to livestock owners. They can also develop programs of wolf damage prevention amongst local farmers. Farmers who refuse to be involved in such programs may not be reimbursed when wolves attack their livestock. Additionally, compensation may not be paid when livestock are left without supervision on a remote pasture overnight. There are some differences in the functioning of compensation programs between provinces, but generally the pattern is the same. Soon after a wolf attack on domestic animals occurs, a special commission inspects the place of kill, examines killed livestock, and checks signs left by predators and prevention methods used by the farmer. At that time a report on the damage is prepared and proposed to the owner to be signed. In the provincial office the report and a current price list of husbandry animals form a basis for estimation of the compensation payment. Potential future values of killed animals are not taken into consideration. If the decision to reimburse the loss is accepted, within a few weeks or months the money is paid to the livestock breeder. In some cases, when the provincial budget is limited, the payment can be delayed until the following year. If the farmer does not agree with the estimation or the final decision, there is a possibility to sue the Head of the province. Yearly in Poland on average 100 000 Euro are paid to farmers as compensation for damage caused by wolves. See: AfN WOLF's project for the resolving of wolf/human conflicts