Home 1-week projects Slovakia - chamois, wolf, bear

Trouble in the Carpathians: chamois, wolves and bears of the Nízke Tatry mountains, Slovakia. Summary This ecovolunteer opportunities project will take you to the Tatra mountains of Slovakia to monitor critically endangered chamois (mountain antelope) populations and their interrelationship with large predators, such as wolves and bears. You will be part of a small international team, working with the local scientist and contributing to an important piece of research. You will survey chamois by direct observation on the alpine meadows and cliffs, and record their signs, such as tracks, scats and markings. You will also track and record the sign of wolves and bears in the high mountain habitat and forests below.       Dates 2008: 3 - 9 August | 10 - 16 August. 2009: Dates in September 2008. Team members can join for multiple slots (within the periods specified). How long can I join for? Expedition contribution (land only per slot) £790 (ca. €1050 | US$1540 | AU$1690). Please note: expedition contributions are quoted in British pound sterling and the approximate Euro and US Dollar equivalent. Try the XE currency converter for other currencies and an up to date Euro and US Dollar exchange rate. Where does my money go and other money questions. Status Expeditions of status red have no spaces available (or have already been to the field). If an expedition is full already, you have the option of going on a waiting list. Please get in touch to add yourself to the waiting list. Terrain Alpine peaks, cliffs with meadows and forests on the lower slopes. Weather expected during expedition Warm to hot mountain summer weather with some thunderstorms and cooler nights. Expedition base Main base is a comfortable wooden mountain cottage with showers, modern amenities and even a hot tub. Weather and conditions permitting, we will also operate out of mountain hut advanced research camps on some days. Team size Up to 12 team members + 1 local scientist + 1 expedition leader. Skills & prerequisites required None. You don't need to be a scientist or have any special qualifications - everyone can take part and there are no age limits whatsoever. Can laypeople really be of help to serious research & conservation projects? Fitness level required Ability to walk about 10-15 km per day in mountainous terrain. Will it be for me or am I too old/young/unfit? Team assembly point Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. What about carbon neutrality and other environmental and social impact? Who books my flights? And finally Our expeditions are not about playing the primitive, neither are we a military style 'boot-camp'. Our expedition leader and the local scientist will be by your side and we believe strongly that we get the best out of our expedition teams by making them comfortable, safe and well fed. You won’t be living in the lap of luxury, but we will do our best to make you feel comfortable and at home in your working environment, as this is the key to a well-balanced and successful expedition. Details This ecovolunteer opportunities project will conduct a first-ever concerted effort to ascertain how many chamois, wolves and bears live in the area and whether wolves and possibly bears are predating heavily on chamois. If the expedition’s work can help to show that wolf and bear predation on chamois is not primarily responsible for the current chamois decline, then this is likely to help prevent large-scale hunting of wolves and bears in the area. Aims & objectives (1) To ascertain total numbers of chamois in the study area. (2) To ascertain chamois birth and infant survival rates. (3) To ascertain number and presence of large predators within chamois habitat. (4) To assess predatory impact of large predators on chamois populations. Background The Tatra chamois is a unique subspecies of mountain antelope in immediate danger of extinction (it is listed as “critically endangered” in the IUCN Red Data Book). There is an ongoing argument about whether the rapid population decline is due to predation, particularly by wolves and less so by bears, or brought about by other reasons such as human impact and/or global climate change. Decision-makers currently favour the ‘decline by large predators theory’ and efforts are under way to increase hunting quotas for large predators, supposedly to reduce pressure on the chamois. Scientists in Slovakia, however, have strong reasons to believe that poaching by legal hunters and some other insufficiently studied reasons (e.g. inbreeding depression) are the actual cause of the chamois decline. This expedition will gather vital data crucial to the conservation of the chamois and in the prevention of large-scale hunting of predators such as the wolf and bear.   Study species Chamois (Rupicapra tatrica), grey wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos).  Other species present, all in an environment of alpine meadows, cliffs and forests: lynx, red fox, marmot, wild boar, red and roe deer, golden eagle, raven. Typical day Activities are usually decided the night before and then confirmed in the morning, depending on the weather. The whole set-up of the expedition is quite flexible so that you can participate according to the weather conditions, your skills and general fitness and how you feel on the day. The set-up of the expedition is flexible with a mixture of survey walks to suit all abilities. Some access routes to the research area require a two to four hour walk from the valley up to the mountain ridge; others can be reached by a two hour Land Rover ride and a 40 minute walk. Once there, most of the terrain within the chamois habitat is moderately difficult with only a few cliffs around the highest peak (Dumbier at 2043 m) that are not accessible to tourists (but will be accessible to the expedition). Research area The habitat is open and apart from beautiful scenery provides good conditions for observation. The Western Carpathian mountains cover much of northern Slovakia, and spread into the Czech Republic with Moravia to the east and southern Poland to the north. They are home to many rare and endemic species of flora and fauna, as well as being a notable staging post for a very large number of migrating birds.          Within these western Carpathian mountains is the Nízke Tatry National Park, which was established in 1978. It extends over an area of 2200 km2 of which 800 km2 form the core area and 1400 km2 the buffer zone. Altitude above sea level ranges from 400 to 2043 m. The main ridge extends east to west over a distance of about 100 km. Forest cover in the area is 90%. The main trees are Norway spruce, beech and fir. The timberline is composed of Norway spruce and in some places beech, between 1400 and 1500 m. Above the timberline is a zone of dwarf pine, then a habitat of alpine meadows and cliffs. The buffer zone of the park is relatively densely populated. Meadows, pastures and arable land extend around the villages. The forests are managed and pastures are used for grazing livestock, mainly sheep and cattle. In summer the grazing of livestock on alpine meadows is forbidden. The territory of the national park is divided into a number of districts where both hunting and tourism are permitted throughout, including most of the core area (but tourism is forbidden on the rocky ridges of the study area). The most important ungulate is red deer. Roe deer are also present in substantially lower numbers, along with a small population of wild boar. A small isolated native chamois population of about 80 individuals inhabits this area above the tree line. The other large predators besides the wolf are the brown bear and lynx. The wolf was exterminated from the park in the 1960s but reintroduced into the area again at the end of the 1970s. The research area spreads over the central part of the park dominated by the highest peak called Dumbier (2043 m). Up to now little data have been gathered on the ecology and behaviour of the large wild mammals and many of the birds in Slovakia. Maps   Map of the region and study site. Map of the Nizke Tatry mountains and study area (yellow circle).     Google map of all Biosphere Expeditions study sites, expedition bases, assembly points, office locations, etc.   Pictures Chamois. Chamois. Chamois. Grey wolf. Wolf track. Brown bear. Bear track. Bear track.  Lynx. Marmot. Red deer on an alpine meadow. Fire salamander. Butterfly.    Mountain landscape in the study area.  Mountain landscape in the study area. Mountain landscape in the study area.  Mountain lake. Sunset in the study area. Courtesy of Andreas Hub. Expedition base. Dinner time! The infamous hot tub at base Mountain hut base for an observation night on the hills. Training - learning how to recognise age and sex in chamois     Training day in the field - navigation.  Training day in the field - Which way was North again? I'd better phone a friend Training day in the field - how to use spotting scopes and binoculars. Making a plan for the day's survey work. Climbing up to the main ridge. Mountain hut base and Land Rover in the background. Observation post on the main ridge. Surveying the ridge.   Recording a chamois sighting.   Recording a wolf track. It's not all work, work, work Land Rover on its way to a drop-off point in the forest. On the way to a survey site. Unpacking the Land Rover near the mountain hut base. An expedition team. Radioing in at sunset.   Video Basic introduction to the chamois, wolves & bears conservation expedition in the Slovakian Tatra mountains. Recorded as part of an interview with L.A.-based "Econews". Video diary of Tiscali journalist Kyley Chapman. Research and survey work (gathering equipment, recording animal tracks & sightings, observing chamois, de-brief meeting) Watch more Slovakia project clips on YouTube.   Press Tiscali in Slovakia in English  View article 153.67 Kb Bocksprünge um Bärendreck in German  View article 673.97 Kb   Bergurlaub mit Sinn in German  View article 119.69 Kb Gemse, Wolf und Bär in German  View article 171.10 Kb Last boy scout's mission in Russian  View article 135.78 Kb Feedback "I am very glad to work with Biosphere Expeditions here in Slovakia, because they help me to conduct real scientific research, rather than guide wildlife watching tours. Without Biosphere Expeditions this large-scale and urgent conservation effort on chamois, bears and wolves would not be possible." Slavomir Find'o, Carpathian Wildlife Society, Slovakia. "I enjoyed my expedition very much – the group was great. It was also great to meet people from different backgrounds and nationalities, and the different ages did not matter at all. The staff were excellent, good fun and kind. I admire the extremely hard work they put in to make this work so well for everyone." Cathy Ryan, 49. "Fantastic opportunity and a fantastic expedition." Kyley Chapman, travel journalist, 32.   Feedback from team members about their experiences and reasons for coming (on/from various expeditions). "For me this was again a very successful undertaking and I look forward to receiving a copy of the report. Last year was my first venture into ‘responsible travel’ and I feel I made a good choice with Biosphere Expeditions. I would recommend this type of vacation to anyone. I will be back and follow Biosphere’s development with interest.” Alan Franklin, 52. "The other expedition members were lovely and really made the expedition brilliant. The whole experience has been fantastic and everyone involved deserves a big thanks!” Katie Bunting, 32. “I loved working with people with different backgrounds and experiences, being challenged with long walks and navigating yourself and camping on the ridge – an unforgettable experience!” Tom Barratt, 35. "Really enjoyed the whole experience and would not hesitate to sign up for another expedition in the future." Fiona Eccleston, 50. "Amazing expedition, thank you ;)" Lauren Fuller, 22. "It was a great holiday, thanks for everything!" Catherine Hillman, 56. "Thank you for everything: all the adventures, experiences, impressions. I will never forget them!" Sonja Käßmann, 28. "I have learnt a lot from this experience and I hope the animals benefit from the data I have collected. Thanks for a great experience – long live Biosphere!" Jamie Sommerville, 18.   Briefing The briefing contains very detailed information on this project, including instructions on how to get to the assembly point, what you will be doing whilst on the project and who your expedition leader and scientists will be. Briefings are provided as pdf documents and you must provide a name, country of residence and valid e-mail address to be able to download one. You can access briefings via the Download Centre. Sign up Go on, you know you want to Sign up here.