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White wilderness: winter wolf and lynx tracking in the Tatra mountains of Slovakia.
Price/dates/status
This ecovolunteer opportunities project will take you to the Tatra mountains of Slovakia to monitor wolf & lynx populations and their interrelationship with prey species. You will be part of a small international team, working with the local scientist and contributing to an important piece of research. You will track large carnivores through snow in the forest and meadow habitats of the mountains (using snow shoes, which are easy to use). You will also learn how to recognise and record other signs of their presence, such as scats and scent markings, collect samples to study their diet and for genetic analysis, and survey prey species, all in an effort to create a sustainable future for these icons of the Carpathian wilderness and to promote greater understanding of their role in European ecosystems.
DetailsAims & objectives
(1) To ascertain total numbers of wolves and lynx in the study area. Background With higher numbers of wolves, lynx and bears in Slovakia since the second half of the 20th century, conflicts with local people have come to public attention. Negative aspects of their presence often make news headlines, promoting a heightened sense of fear. Wolves sometimes cause considerable losses to livestock, particularly sheep, and hunters think they will wipe out game stocks. Lynx and wolves have also been accused of reducing numbers of other threatened animals, such as the Tatra chamois. Such conflicts often lead to calls for culling, which is the approach that almost eradicated carnivores from Slovakia in the past. The concurrent emergence of new threats to wildlife and habitats presented by economic development means that a more sensitive approach is required, one based on a sound understanding of the place of carnivores in ecosystems, but also considering their impact on local people. As very little modern scientific work has been done on large carnivores in Slovakia, there is much to be done in order to achieve these goals. Study species Grey wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx lynx), red deer (Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), brown hare (Lepus europaeus). Other species present, all in an environment of alpine meadows, cliffs and forests: brown bear, golden eagle, raven, pine marten, stone marten. All in an environment of alpine meadows, cliffs and forests. 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.In the morning the expedition team will divide into sub-teams of two or more people, who will be assigned a route to cover during the day. You will then be taken to the start of your route, if it is away from the base camp, and set out on foot, snow shoes (or cross country or mountaineering skis) according to snow conditions and your preference & existing skills. When you find tracks or other signs of wolves, lynx or other landmark species, you will record them using GPS receivers, cameras and notebooks. In the case of wolves and lynx, you will then follow the tracks for as far as possible in order to collect further data on their movements and activity. On other days you will also assist in a systematic assessment of prey numbers. You will return to base in the evening to log our results and discuss findings. Research area
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. Partners Our main partner for this project is the Slovak Wildlife Society (SWS), a non-profit Anglo-Slovak initiative for the conservation of Carpathian wildlife. We also work closely with local communities & schools. Corporate support comes from Land Rover & Swarovski Optik.
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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 lynx, bears and wolves would not be possible." Robin Rigg, Slovak 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."
"Fantastic opportunity and a fantastic expedition."
"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.”
"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!”
“I loved working with people with different backgrounds and experiences, being challenged with long walks and navigating yourself – an unforgettable experience!”
"Really enjoyed the whole experience and would not hesitate to sign up for another expedition in the future."
"Amazing expedition, thank you ;)"
"It was a great holiday, thanks for everything!"
"Thank you for everything: all the adventures, experiences, impressions. I will never forget them!"
"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!"
BriefingThe 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.
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