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The magazine of The UK Wolf Conservation Trust, published quarterly

Published by:The UK Wolf Conservation TrustButlers Farm, Beenham,Reading RG7 5NTTel & Fax: 0118 971 3330e-mail: ukwct@ukwolf.orgwww.ukwolf.org

Denise TaylorTel: 01788 832658Email: denise.taylor@btinternet.com

Editorial TeamJulia Bohanna,Andrew Matthews,Gwynne Power, Sue Sefscik

Contributors to this issue:Svetlana Baskakova, Ken Bealby, Lise Donnez,Andrew Matthews, Pat Morris, Gwynne Power,Sue Sefscik,Vladimir Shakula, Denise Taylor.

Design Team: Phil Dee Tel: 01788 546565Stephania Balbo, Paul Swainson

PatronsDesmond MorrisErich KlinghammerChristoph Promberger

The UK Wolf Conservation Trust DirectorsNigel BulmerCharles HicksTsa PalmerDenise Taylor

The UK Wolf Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England &Wales. Company No. 3686061

The opinions expressed in this magazine are notnecessarily those of the publishers or The UK WolfConservation Trust.

All rights reserved through the world. Reproduction in anymanner, in whole or in part, in English or other languages,prohibited. This work may not be photocopied or otherwisereproduced within the terms of any license granted by theCopyright Licensing Agency Ltd or the Publishers LicensingSociety Ltd.

Aims of The UK Wolf Conservation Trust

● To enhance the conservation, scientific knowledgeand public awareness of the environment.

● To stimulate greater interest in Wolves, theirfood, their habitat and their behaviour.

● To provide opportunities for both ethologicalresearch and for people to interact with Wolves.

● To improve the chances of survival of EuropeanWolves in the wild.

● To set up an education programme for schools,conservationists and dog trainers.

Cover price: £3.00Subscription rates (incl P&P):United Kingdom: £14.00 (non-members);£12.00 (UKWCT members).Rest of world: £16.00 (non-members);£14.00 (UKWCT members).

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WolfPrint is printed on re-cycled paper. Printed by Colorco. Coventry (024) 7671 1005

PICTURE CREDITS

Geoffrey Gersie for his photo of Vucho. Alex Hampson andDenise Taylor

This issue comes with very sad news. In early March the UKWCT lost its founderand executive director, Roger Palmer. I have worked with Roger for the pastseven or eight years, and have never ceased to be amazed by his capacity for

work; at times enduring a punishing schedule even when he was seriously ill towardsthe end of his life. During this period, he kept the seriousness of his final illness fromfriends and colleagues at the Trust, and was very convincing when he claimed he wasfeeling much better. Attending a finance meeting just two weeks before his death, Rogerwas quite jovial and still plotting and planning the future of the Trust. He gave us noindication that his condition was terminal. This was the kind of determination Rogerdisplayed in all his endeavours.

Roger was a very complex person. He was not always easy to work with, but he wasa loyal friend, and extremely forthright, honest and direct in his approach.You alwaysknew where you stood with Roger; whether you liked it or not. Many people he cameinto contact with saw him as a rather brusque man, but anyone who worked closelywith Roger also witnessed a very caring and compassionate side to him. I will neverforget his kindness when I suffered a personal tragedy four years ago.

To say the wolf world has lost a very great and dedicated man is an understatement.There are very few in any field who have the passion, drive and determination thatRoger had, and I consider myself lucky to have had the privilege of working with himand being part of his vision that is now the UKWCT.This was not always an easy ride,but it was never boring, and one man who had the vision and also the capacity to makethings happen in wolf conservation, has given others, including myself, a platform tofollow our own visions in wolf conservation. Roger will be very greatly missed, andmost definitely not forgotten.

March was a month of lows with the loss of Roger, but it also contained a high forme when I visited Bulgaria for a week and spent time with wolf biologist,Elena Tsingarska at the Balkani Wildlife Society project in the Pirin Mountains. Havingworked in wolf conservation for over ten years, this was a wonderful highlight of myconservation career, made very special indeed when we tracked wild wolves up themountainside and collected three lots of scat (some of which contained evidence ofwild boar).You can read more about my adventures on page 15.

We also report on the travels of Lise Donnez and Pierre Zuppiroli and their timespent in Denali National Park. Read about their experiences on page 12.

Following the theme of extinct wolves in the Winter 2003 issue, regular contributor,Sue Sefscik, continues her look back in time at another extinct gray wolf sub-species,Canis lups hattai, from Japan. Her article also reports on wolves in China.

The UKWCT Spring Seminar was another success, with guest speakers from theUSA and Poland. Read the summary of this event on page 7.

Wolves of the World

The UKWCT loses its Founder andExecutive Director: Roger Plamer

The UKWCT Spring Seminar

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I ns ide th i s i ssue. . . Wolves of South Kazakhstan

Canis Lupus in China and Japan

Alaska’s Denali National Park

Back to the Future:A Visit to Bulgaria

Wolves of the World4

United States

AlaskaAlaska has expanded its wolfcontrol program into the southcentral area of the state. Thewolves are shot by airbornehunters. The Alaskan Board ofFish and Game wants to remove140 wolves from an 8000 squaremile region in the Nelchina Basin,where the moose population hashalved following the last wolf cullin 1995. Moose calves areparticularly vulnerable to wolf-attack. The control program hasprompted a Conneticut-basedanimal rights group to launch acampaign to boycott Alaska’stourist industry, which is worthan estimated two billion dollarsper year. Defenders of Wildlifehave submitted a fifteen-pagepetition to the Alaskan InteriorMinister asking her to give aruling on whether the programcontravenes the 1971 AirborneHunting Act.

ArizonaFive Mexican wolves capturedbetween 1977 and 1980 weretaken to the Arizona - SaronaDesert Museum to become the

WisconsinAs part of a search for non-lethalways to control predators,researchers have been carryingout experiments to see if radio-activated guard boxes (RAG) candeter wolves from attackinglivestock. When triggered by theapproach of a wolf wearing aradio collar, RAG boxesbroadcast recordings of loudnoises such as gunfire. Theresearchers compared wolves’consumption of road-killed deercarcasses before and after beingexposed to the noises and foundthat it dropped between two-thirds and three-quarters.

The drawbacks to the RAGscheme are: most wolves are notradio-collared, and animalsbecome used to the noises afterrepeated exposure.

The results of a survey carriedout on 535 respondents by theWildlife Conservation Societyand the University of Wisconsinwere published in December2003. The survey reveals thatsocial attitudes and occupationare more likely to influencepeople’s attitude to wolves thanindividual encounters with the

NORTH AMERICA

Canada

AlbertaWolf numbers in Banff NationalPark have been steadily decliningsince the animals werereintroduced in 1980. One group,the Bow Valley pack, is close tobeing wiped out after the deathof a male wolf last December.Another group, the Fairholmepack has dwindled from 17 tofour over the last three years.Since 1981, 52 wolves have beenkilled on roads in Banff, Kootenayand Yoho National Parks, manyothers have been shot or trappedlegally outside the parks’boundaries. Unlike the U.S.A.where federal law protects greywolves, hunters of wolves inAlberta do not need a licence.Conservationists suggest thesetting up of buffer zones aroundthe parks, in which limits wouldbe set on the hunting andtrapping of wolves. Opponents ofthis suggestion maintain thatthere are far more wolves inAlberta than the conservationistshave estimated.

source pack for recovery effortsin Arizona and New Mexico. Atpresent there are about 200wolves in 29 U.S. zoos and tenMexican zoos. Zoos in CheyenneMountain, Denver, Pueblo andAlbuquerque have joinedtogether in a wolf forum whichoffers biological information onthe animals.For further details log-on towww.wolfforum.org

IdahoIt has been confirmed that a wolfwhose carcass was found in theSquaw Creek area in May 2003was poisoned by Compound1080. This is a colourless,tasteless, odourless, water-soluble substance. Its ingestion byhumans can lead to respiratoryfailure, seizures and heart-attacks.

Killing an animal protected bythe Endangered Species Act ispunishable by a fine of up to$100,000 and a year’simprisonment.

The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService is offering a reward of$2,500 for information leading tothe arrest and conviction ofthose responsible.

Wolves of the World 5

Map Stefania Balbo

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Places Referred To

1.Alberta, Canada2.Alaska, USA3. Idaho, USA4.Arizona, USA5.Wisconsin, USA6.Wyoming, USA7. Estonia8. Ethiopia9. India

there was moderate support forwolf recovery.

After being wiped out inWisconsin in 1950, packs fromneighbouring Minnesota havebeen recolonizing the state andthe population currently standsat about 350.

Since the survey wasconducted, wolves have beenfederally down listed from an

endangered species to athreatened species, allowinglethal control where necessary.

WyomingIn January the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service rejectedWyoming’s wolf managementplan, which is likely to delayremoval of the wolf from theEndangered Species List. There

are now some 235 wolves inWyoming and ranchers andhunters are concerned that wolfattacks on game and livestock willincrease if there is no state planallowing flexibility in the controlof wolves. A spokespersoninvolved in the hunting industryhas calculated that wolves killmore than 6,000 elk per year inthe Greater Yellowstone .

animals, or loss of pets andlivestock. 74% of the 124 bearhunters included in the surveywere in favour of reducing oreliminating Wisconsin’s wolfpopulation. Only 44% of livestockproducers favoured suchmeasures and only 28.5% ofgeneral residents. Overall 17.4%of those surveyed were infavour of wolf elimination and

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Wolves of the World6

EcosystemWyoming proposed a ‘dualclassification’ system in whichwolves would be treated astrophy game in areas nearYellowstone and Grand TetonNational Parks, and be subject toregulation hunting. Elsewhere inthe state wolves would beclassified as predators and theirhunting would be subject to littleregulation. The U.S. Fish andWildlife Service has objected thatsuch a plan would seriouslyconflict with Wyoming’sagreement to maintain aminimum stable population ofwolves.

The death of two sister wolvesin Yellowstone Park means thatnone of the original 35 wolvesreleased in the park in 1995/6now survives. One of the wolves,42F was killed in February by arival pack. 41F, ill with mange andlimping badly, was shot by game

officials ten days later after shekilled a new-born calf.

REST OF WORLD

EstoniaWolves have been declared aprotected species in Estonia,despite having been grantedspecial permission by the EU tocontinue its tradition of wolf-hunting, In 1990 the wolfpopulation was estimated at 600 -700, but late last year somescientists put the figure as low as70 - 80. In its negotiations to jointhe EU, Estonia agreed tomaintain a wolf population of atleast 100 - 150.

EthiopiaAn outbreak of rabies has beenraging among Ethiopian wolves inthe Bale Mountains. Members ofthe Ethiopian Wolf Conservation

Program were given permissionto implement an emergencyvaccination scheme and capturedand injected an initial sample of60 wolves. A further 70 wolveswere vaccinated afterwards.Though the death rate is nowslowing, it is estimated thatbetween 75% and 81% of theWeb Valley population has beenlost, leaving only 15 - 20 adultsand sub adults.

IndiaScientists at the Centre forCellular and Molecular Biology inHyderabad report that theirgenetic studies of Indian wolvesshow that they are the mostancient of wolf populations andthat India was at the centre of theorigin of wolves. There are twosubspecies of wolf in India: theHimalayan wolf, found only in theHimalayas, has a population ofapproximately 350; the grey wolf

which is found throughout theIndian peninsular has a populationof approximately 1500. Wolvesare thought to have migrated toIndia between one and twomillion years ago. Theirsubsequent evolution wasuncontaminated by other wolf-like canines.

Thank you to everyonewho has contributed newsand updates for Wolvesof the World. Our specialthanks to Pat Morris(Wolfseeker) for the regularsupply of wolf news fromaround the world, and toAndrew Matthews for hissub-editing work. Articlesthat are reprinted in full areappropriately credited withthe author’s name anddetails of where the articlewas first published.

The UKWCT loses its Founderand Executive DirectorROGER PALMER 1947-2004

The wolf world has lost a seasoned wolfconservationist who worked passionately for wolves formany years. Roger Palmer, UKWCT founder andexecutive director, passed away on Saturday 6 March2004 following a long illness.

Roger set up the UKWCT in 1995 after keepingwolves privately for a number of years at Butlers Farm.Wolves were one of Roger’s driving passions, andhe never waivered from his vision for the Trust.His energy and drive seemed boundless to thosewho worked closely with Roger, and although hissingle-mindedness often drove us to distraction, we alladmired and respected him for the work he was doingfor wolf conservation.

Roger has left a huge gap, and will be greatly missed,not only for the larger than life character he was, butalso for the amount of work he carried out, oftenworking late into the evening to keep in touch withvolunteers and Trust members.

One of Roger’s main aims was to build a robustorganisational infrastructure for the Trust. Thankfullythis was achieved before he died, and his work will carryon, with everyone having vowed to continue his legacyand work to achieve his vision and goals.

Photo: UKWCT

UK Wolf Conservation Trust Spring Seminar April 2004 7

UK Wolf Conservation TrustSpring Seminar April 2004UK Wolf Conservation TrustSpring Seminar April 2004The Assembly room at Cheam School,Headingley, was once again full. Wolf loversfrom around the country had gathered tosoak up more knowledge on their favouritecarnivore. And once again the speakersengaged by the Trust lived up to the highstandards we have all come to expect.

MONTY SLOANMonty Sloan is a Wolf Behaviour Specialist andWolf Park Photographer in the USA where hisyears of working with captive wolves haveresulted in the largest collection of wolf imagesand depictions of their social behaviour anywherein the world (see www.wolfphotography.com).

Monty has worked with wolves for manyyears in Alaska and in Yellowstone during thewolf reintroduction programme. Thisprogramme has proved so successful thatwolf numbers in the park are now in excessof 4,000.

Measures are now underway to remove thewolf from the endangered list although inorder for this to happen all states, includingMontana, Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesotahave to agree legislation and this is holding upthe de-listing.

EFFECTS ON THE ECOSYSTEMNinety percent of wolves kill elk that areusually 14 years of age or older and, as theyare no longer reproducing by this age this hasno effect on the elk population.

Half of what wolves kill isactually eaten by other animals;carrion is often left for others.By limiting the presence of elkand other ungulates there hasbeen a significant increase inthe number of aspen grovesas they are not grazing onthe new saplings. This alsohas led to the return of manyspecies of native birds tothe park.

There has also been adramatic reduction in theCoyote population although itwas unnaturally high with 4,000wolves to 4,000,000 Coyotes!

WLODZIMIERZ JEDRZEJEWSKIProfessor Wlodzimierz Jedrzejewski is Vice-President for Science at the Mammal ResearchInstitute, Polish Academy of Sciences inBialowieza, Poland. He has extensiveinternational experience including researchtrips to Canada and Russia and has lectured allover the world including at the 2003 WorldWolf Congress in Banff.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATIONPROBLEMS OF WOLVES IN POLANDThe Polish Bialowieza Forest has beenpreserved by Polish kings for over 500 years.It is an area of primeval forest situated on thePolish/Belarus border, well connected toforest areas to the North and South West. Ithas a natural preserved habitat withdeciduous trees, many alders, supports3000 species of fungi and over 20,000 typesof insect.

The forest also supports Bison, which is thelargest mammal, moose, elk, red deer, roedeer and wild boar, together with two largepredators the lynx and the wolf.

During 1995 the first wolf project wasundertaken.The forest was searched and preyremains were studied but this was veryrestrictive. Since then, 12 wolves have beencaptured, using an ancient hunting techniqueknown as Fladry (flags attached to ropesforming a boundary that wolves will notcross), and radio-collared, providingresearchers with a wealth of data about thewolves.

As a result of this study it was determinedthat there were 3 packs inhabiting the area.

During 2001 and 2002 a census was carriedout throughout the State Forest districts andnational parks. In total, 440 forest districts,and 22 national parks were divided into 75co-ordinated regions. This was a huge

operation carried outsimultaneously in everyarea. Wolves werecounted, and details ofhow many pups, howmany den sites, and signsof prey were allcatalogued.

All data were analysedand the pack territoriesmapped precisely.

Distribution:Number of Packs 110 – 130Total Number of Wolves 480-660Density of Wolf Population 1-3 individuals

per 100km2Mean Pack size 4.5 individuals

In eastern Poland the wolf populationswere growing and new areas where beingcovered, but in western Poland the wolf couldnot seem to establish itself. It becameapparent that migrational barriers wereresponsible for this situation – central Polandhas dense urban areas and these wereimpassable to wolves. Road traffic in this areahad increased substantially over the past20 years.

Migration corridors were studied and itwas found that these routes, once used, wereno longer connected. These findings were putto the Polish Government and it was agreedthat these corridors should be opened up forthe wolves and the areas protected fromdevelopment. EU monies designated forforestry development would be used forthis project.

If the wolf population was unable tomigrate to new areas, existing packs would befragmented and eventually would die out.Highways and express roads will be in directconflict with animal populations and migrationcorridors. The proposed Battica road wouldcut the migration corridors in two places.

Overpasses constructed to aid migrationhave been used in Canada but would theywork in Poland?

Following Wlockek’s presentation, theUKWCT presented his Institute with acheque for £2,000 from the UK WolfConservation Trust towards further researchand work with wolves in Poland.

After a question and answer session,everyone had lunch before enjoying

a walk with theTrust’s wolves,Duma andDakota, in thegrounds of theschool.Although itrained steadily, no-one was deterredfrom the walk.

A sodden groupof wolf enthusiastsfinally made theirway home after at h o r o u g h l yenjoyable andwe l l -o r g an i s edday.

by Pat AdamsPhotos: Jay Panchmati

Wolves of South Kazakhstan8

by By Vladimir Shakula and Svetlana BaskakovaPhotos:Vladimir Shakula and Svetlana Baskakova

Kazakhstan is a young post-Sovietrepublic situated in Eurasiabetween Russia and the MiddleAsian countries. The territory of

Kazakhstan is vast: its length from west toeast is 2,925 km and from north to south it is1,600 km.The northern and central areas arecovered in wooded or treeless steppe anddesert landscapes. Mountains form much ofthe southern border.

This article is about wolves of the SouthKazakhstan Oblast (Province). Theadministrative centre of the oblast isShymkent (N 42º 19´; E 69º 36´).The naturalzones of South Kazakhstan are varied. It ismostly plains, but deserts cover much of thecentral parts of the oblast where theKyzylkum Desert is found. To the north arethe Moinkum and Betpakdala Deserts. Themain river is the Syr-darya which flowsthrough a flood plain where low forest grows.In the central, south-eastern parts of theoblast are the Western Tien Shan mountains.The main ranges are the Syrdarian Karatauand Talas Alatau which rise to 4,300 metres.

The fauna of the region is rich and varied.In the desert and semi-desert zones livedjairan (goitred gazelle), jungle cat, spottedcat, saiga, sand hare, corsac fox, bustards, andsand grouse. The mountain fauna is alsodistinctive and includes snow leopard,marmot,Tien Shan bear, ibex, argali, red deer,lynx, badger, porcupine, chukar, and snowcock.The common or grey wolf (Canis lupus) iswidely distributed in all these natural zones.

Scientists agree that the Western Tien ShanMountains are inhabited by the Central Asiansubspecies or Tibetan wolf (Canis lupuschanco, Cray), but it is not clear whichsubspecies inhabits the South Kazakhstanoblast plain. It may be the desert wolf (Canislupus desertorum, Bogdanov) or the steppewolf (Canis lupus campestris, Dwigubski), andit is possible that both subspecies coexist.Thenature and location of the boundary betweenthe populations of mountain and plain wolves

is not known.Very little research has been carried out on

wolves in this part of the world and generally,there are more questions than answers.During the era of the Soviet Union, somestudies of wolves were made, but inKazakhstan, since independence in 1991,nobody has carried out research into wolvesand the government has not supportedscientific research proposals. Records ofcounts of wolves in the hunting departmentare not reliable because they were made byunskilled workers and so populationestimates are inaccurate. In the SouthKazakhstan Oblast, it is esimtated there arebetween 300 to 2,000 individuals.

Wolf ecology was studied by the sovietscientists A Sludskoi and A Fedosenko in the1960s and 70s and their studies areconsidered accurate, but their investigationsare in the context of a policy of control ofwolves as a pest, and within an ardent huntingculture. Wolves were seen as getting in theway of the projected targets of the five yearplans for agricultural production and hunting.The result of this obsolete view of wolves asa problem is the recently published decree ofthe South Kazakhstan administratorsconcerning the introduction of bounties forwolves. In the document "Concerning theOrganisation of Control of Certain Species ofPredator", it is said that the numbers of thesepredators are growing, their attacks ondomestic animals are increasing in frequencyand that they have a role in the spread ofrabies. Therefore, it is argued, it is necessaryto organise a hunting team to shoot wolvesall-the-year round and give bounties for theshooting of wolves and jackals: 6,000 tenge(about $40) per adult wolf, 2,500 tenge (about$16) per cub and 2,000 tenge (about $13) perjackal. This document demonstrates thepresent attitude to wolves in Kazakhstan.

Generally, we can summarise as follows:● The full taxonomic status of wolves in

Kazakhstan has not been studied

● The population status, including numbers ofwolves, is not known

● The real amount of damage to agriculturefrom wolves has not been assessed

● The ecological education of local people isat a low level

● Government administrators considerwolves as pests and they retain a policy ofwolf extermination

● The majority of the community considerswolves as destructive animals whichpresent a real threat not only to domesticand wild animals but to people

● The experiences of foreign countries andthe attitudes of international organisationsand communities to wolves are not knownto the inhabitants of South Kazakhstan.

There are some specialists andorganisations who understand that the wolf,as a living organism, has its place in Natureand has a right to live there. The authors ofthis article have worked in Zapovedniks(Nature Reserves) of Middle Asia for morethan 20 years, and have studied the ecology oflarge animals, including wolves.The wolf doesnot only eat the fresh meat but as far as isknown, its food includes carrion and plants.Fruits, berries, and other plant food can form12% to 80% of the wolf’s diet depending onconditions and the season. In the mountains,wolves eat notable quantities of apples, pears,blackberries and even rosehips from the dogrose. Rodents always make up a major part ofthe wolf’s diet.

It is interesting that the wolf controls thebreeding of other predators, for example, thefox which is the main carrier of rabies inMiddle Asia. There is no doubt that the wolfhas a role to play in helping to maintaining ahealthy ecosystem. The wolf does not onlyattack sick or weak animals but also animalswith particular patterns of behaviour and asmentioned before, it also eats carrion.Therefore, information about wolves resultingfrom faecal analysis is often not reliable. It

Wolves of South Kazakhstan

9Wolves of South Kazakhstan

cannot be considered an absolute fact thatthe presence of red deer hair in wolf faecesmeans that animal was the prey of wolves.Thedeer could have perished for many otherreasons and the wolf was simply cleaning upthe remains of carrion.

It is clearly of paramount importance to tryand change attitudes towards wolves asdestructive and dangerous animals.And whileit may well be necessary to control thenumbers of predators, it is first of allnecessary to study the problem i.e. to definethe taxonomic rank of South Kazakhstanwolves and their ecological role and tostudy the impacts of wolves predationson wild and domestic animals. Only aftersuch research can the appropriaterecommendations be made.

People have to change their attitude towolves as a dangerous and fierce animalrequiring extermination. The wolf is a smart,beautiful and strong animal earning arespectful attitude as an inalienablecomponent of Nature. The ecological NGO"Wild Nature" has planned a chain ofmeasures for solutions to the "wolf problem"in South Kazakhstan. Specifically, we wouldlike to carry out research on wolf ecology. Inparallel, work on changing attitudes to wolvesamong the community will be provided bylectures with demonstrations of the livehandling of wolves.With this end in view, theNGO "Wild Nature" is going to bring twoyoung wolves from Shymkent Zoo.

WOLVES IN SHYMKENT ZOOThe three zoos in Kazakhstan are in Almaty,Karaganda and Shymkent. Shymkent StateZoo was established in 1980 on the outskirtsof the town. It is a big centre, the main aimsof which are the conservation of endangeredand rare animals, scientific research, andecological education. The zoo is also ananimal research laboratory. Scientistsorganize excursions and lectures for visitors.There is a lecture hall and biological roomequipped with a computer, a television, atape-recorder, herbariums and otherbiological exhibits.

Shymkent zoo is a real green island: thereare 2,000 ornamental trees, 550 fruit trees,

about 10,000 roses and 800 red lilies. Hedgesextend throughout the zoo. Its total area is 30hectares. There are 43 open air cages withseveral lakes and a pool for fin-footed animals.More than 1,300 individual animals aremaintained in the zoo’s collection. There are160 species including 32 of fish, 3 ofamphibian, 15 of reptile, 60 of bird and 50 ofmammal.About 30 inhabitants are listed in theIUCN’s Red Book of Rare and EndangeredSpecies for Kazakhstan.

Black griffons, porcupines, argali, spotteddeer, Przhevalsky’s horse, lamas, brown bears,and of course, wolves successfully breed inthe zoo.Wolves live and breed in the suitablyequipped, open air cages. Each open air cagehas a 4m x 4.5m summer ground and a 2m x1.5m winter den.There is also a sceptic tankand running drinking water. The cages arecleaned daily. For the safety of staff, there is asliding gate and for the safety of visitors, thereis a triple metal fence.

Five wolves live in the zoo. Kaskirby, whichsimply means wolf in the Kazak language, isthe original male wolf and will be 12 years oldin May. He came to the zoo on the 15th June1992. He was brought by hunters who caughthim in South Kazakhstan. Of course, hisorigins are not known to us. Data for the restof the wolves in the zoo are noted down in arecord book.The she-wolf, Koktem, ("Spring"in Kazak) was born on the 10th April 1996.Her Mother was Nauriz, ("March") and herFather is Kaskirby. Nauriz was also fromSouth Kazakhstan, and she has since died. Last

year, Kaskirby and Koktem produced fivecubs, two of which were given to a Kazakhfilm studio for making the film "Nomads." Thefate of these young wolves is unknown. Theremaining three young male wolves are a realattraction at the zoo.They are not aggressivebut active and sociable. They have a goodappetite and are of a cheerful disposition.

The wolves are fed every day exceptSunday. Every Monday they are fed rabbits.They are always fed at the same time at 1550hours.The feeding varies according to season.In spring and summer they are fed 3kg ofmeat, 0.5kg of fish, 250ml milk and 1 raw eggper wolf. In autumn and winter, fish oil isadded to the summer ration at 5ml perindividual.The cost of feeding each wolf eachday is about $8.

The wolves attract a lot of attention.Visitors are interested in the wolves’ upkeepand breeding in captivity. At the end ofFebruary and the beginning of March 2004,the female wolf, Koktem, was put in withKaskir, and it is hoped that this will producepups this year. Although the specialists arehappy with this event, they feel a little anxious.How will the pups be fed? Soon, the NGO"Wild Nature" is going to take care of twowolves, and we are looking for organisationswhich will help take care of the wolves orfinance their feeding at the zoo.

NGO Wild Natureand Latipsha Aliev Shymkent Zoological ParkThe Republic of Kazakhstan

Canis Lupus in China and Japan10

A research fellow with the Institute ofGrasslands at China's Academy of AgriculturalSciences stated the thriving wolves could beattributed to the restored food chain. YuanQing also stated that the restoration of manydifferent plants was the key, with wolvesculminating as the chief predator. Thereappears to be more plants due to higherrainfall in the area.

This successful desertification control andecological restoration could also mean an endto the severe annual sandstorms thatpreviously originated in Inner Mongolia andplague Beijing.

In early 2003, organized hunts were beingconsidered due to what the local herdsmenfelt were high livestock losses to them.Additional studies are needed to determinehow many wolves can be killed withoutdestabilizing the population.

CANIS LUPUS HODOPHILAX IN JAPANThe extinct Japanese wolf of the HondoIslands (consisting of Hoshu, Siloku andKyushu) is thought to have migrated there inthe late Pleistocene era from the northernterritories. They then became isolated.This island isolation may account for theirsmaller size and morphological change of theskull when compared to Canis lupus lupus.It is taxonomically considered to be adistinctive subspecies.

the far west region of Islamic Xinjiang.Thesewolf packs proceeded to the plains wherelivestock grazed. According to news reports,starving, freezing wolves supposedly ate 1,500sheep in one prefecture alone. Wolvesattacked endangered antelope in the KalamailiMountain Nature Preserve.

Also in 2001, the Chinese State ForestryAdministration released their conclusionsafter a five-year study in Hunan Province.Chinese experts warned that wolves, jackalsand roes are becoming extinct there, chieflydue to environmental deterioration. Over2,800 forestry experts and technicians hadbeen consulted.The last time a wolf and roewere seen was in 2000 and a jackal has notbeen seen since 1993.

According to news reports in late 2002,wolves began attacking herdsmen's flocks inthe Badain Jaran desert. The Badain Jaran isthe second largest desert in China and coversan area of 47,000 square kilometers. It islocated in the west of Inner MongoliaAutonomous Region. The desert was oncehome to many animals, including wolves,hawks, foxes, wild geese and swans, but mostvanished because of over-hunting.

The herdsmen are using non-lethalmeasures to scare wolves away.These includelighting torches and setting off firecrackers.Some herdsmen also ride their motorcyclesat the packs to drive them off.

The local government suggests herdsmenkeep their sheep together instead of havingmany small, separate flocks. Wolves arecurrently under second-class state protectionin China. A series of laws in the 1990s werealso passed to ban hunting. Ecologists see the

re-emergence of wolves in the Badain Jaranand its surroundings as a sign of an improvingenvironment. Wolf numbers have increasedsharply which indicates that the localecological system is now returning to normal.

There are a number of subspecies of canislupus in China. The wolf of Mongolia andChina is called Canis lupus laniger. In thiscontext, laniger is defined as woolly. It can alsobe named Canis lupus chanco with a variationon that of Canis lupus chanku. A commonname is the Chinese or Tibetan wolf. Thisspecies is generally considered to be amedium sized wolf with long, lightly coloredfur. Like all wolves, he migrates and can befound inhabiting Mainland China, Mongolia,Manchuria,Tibet and southwest Russia.

The two subspecies of Canis lupus thatinhabited Japan are probably now extinct.Canis lupus hattai (also known as rex) was awolf once found in Hokkaido, Japan. Sometaxonomists believe that it still survives onSakhalin Island, although this is doubtful. Itscommon name was the Japanese wolf. Canislupus hodophilax once roamed Honshu, Japanand records show the last one was killed in1905. It was supposedly much smaller thanCanis lupus hattai. Its common name was theHondo Japanese wolf.

CANIS LUPUS LANIGER IN CHINAChina's exact wolf population numbersremain unknown. However, it is estimatedthat 10,000 to 15,000 wolves may bedistributed throughout the country. Wolfconservationists in China face many of thesame problems as conservationists in otherparts of the world, i.e. wolves are blood-thirsty killers. Education of the public as wellas intense gun control measures have helpedcurb human-caused wolf mortality rates.However, the steady increase in road-building,construction and population sprawl, mostespecially since the early 1980s, have takentheir toll upon the land and upon all ofChina's endangered species.

In early 2001, the worst winter in 50 yearsdrove packs of wolves out of the mountains in

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Canis Lupus in China and Japan 11

On one hand, it was revered and perceivedas a protector while also being feared andloathed. One legend, The Quiver of theMountain Spirit, tells of a blind lute playerwho was lost on a mountain. He is guideddown the mountain by what he believes to bea hunter. Upon arriving safely at a village, helater discovers that it was a tiny wolf.

The mountain people would use this wolf'sskull as a charm to chase away demons.Shrines were built to encourage its protectivepower.Ancient legends from the Tono Districtin northeastern Japan recount the Japanesewolf as a "vicious and dreadful thing to meet."They supposedly devoured horses andbrought ill fortune to homes if encountered.

This ambivalence about the tiny wolf wasmost prevalent in the stories of a wolffollowing travelers. Some people believedthey should not turn to look upon the wolfuntil they reached a village or else they wouldbe attacked. Others believed the wolf wouldprotect them on these roads.

Fear soon overcame the human inhabitantsand with the introduction to the populace offirearms, the tiny wolf was hunted toextinction. Although the real threat wasminor, the perceived threat overwhelmed itsreproductive patterns. This wolf was mostlyhunted for its coat.

As the human population increased inJapan, so did deforestation and farming.Because Japan has one of the highestpopulation densities in the world, it could nothope to sustain a free-ranging, wild wolfpopulation as well.

By the end of the 19th century, theJapanese government offered bounties on thetiny wolf. Local governments paid 7 yen(currently this would be US .06 and EUR.048) for a wolf between 1878-82 and 10 yenafter 1888.

Together with an epidemic of canine

Although it was the size of a small dog,human fear and misunderstanding caused it tobe elevated to the realm of a god-likecreature. It was both feared and revered.Throughout its history, it had many commonnames such as okami (Great God), magami(True God) yama no kami (Mountain God)and the Howling God.

The Hondo Islands consist of rugged andheavily forested mountains. Canis lupushodophilax adapted to its environment, freelyroaming the remote mountain areas.

Its coat was short, dense and usually ash-gray, tinged with white, russet and brown. Itslength would rarely exceed 104 cm (41inches) and it had a thin tail which measured30 cm (12 inches) on average. Its legs werealso extraordinarily short for a wolf. Thesecharacteristics would lead biologists tobelieve that the hodophilax may have beencloser to a wild dog rather than a wolf.

The aboriginal Japanese, the Ainu, namedthis wolf the Howling God. According tohistorical reports, it would howl for hours,the mournful wails emanating from the bleakand remote mountain range. These simplepeople could only imagine that the creatureheld great powers. It was a mystical andpowerful creature to them, although theyhunted the tiny wolf with poisoned arrows.

distemper, these bounties helped theholophilax towards extinction. It is believedthat the last Japanese wolf was killed in 1905near Washikaguchi on Honshu.

Referenceshttp://www2.baynet.or.jp/~anplan/animal/

20html/20-wolfe0.htmlhttp://nh.kanagawa-museum.jp/kenkyu/

bulletin/bul27-3.htmlhttp://www.china.org.cn/english/2003/Apr/

62229.htmhttp://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/

2003/04/15/65870-ap.htmlhttp://www.china.org.org/cn/english/

environment/48406.htmhttp://english.peopledaily.com.cnhttp://www.woelfe-online.at/chinesewolf.htmlhttp://www.wolfhaven.org/worldwidestatus.

htmhttp://www.wolfsongalaska.org/gray_wolf_

europe_tax.htmlLopez, Barry. Of Wolves and Men(New York, N.Y.:Touchstone, 1978),pp. 13-15.

Photos: http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=canis+lupus+hodophilax&spell=1

CHINAND JAPANCHINA

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Visitors’ Centre, etc), all motivated by theneed to keep the wildlife and the habitatintact under the slogan Keep the Wildlife Wild.

The renowned Visitor Center, nervecentre of the park and the essential startingpoint for anyone wishing to venture intothe back country as a permit must be issued.The park is divided into 43 sectors and onany day only 12 permits are issued for a givensector and sometimes as few as two. Thisensures that the natural inhabitants reignsupreme. So one is virtually on one’s ownwithout paths, signposts and in highlyuncertain meteorological conditions: it snowsat least one day a month even throughthe summer!

There is absolute protection for all wildlifefrom hunters in the original 8,400 km2 of thepark, but the Alaska National Interest LandsConservation Act (ANILCA) recognised thatthe needs of those living within the widerboundaries before their annexation should berespected since their predatory interactionwith certain creatures in a habitat natural tothem as well as the wildlife can be essential totheir survival.

Hunting of wolves is permitted in the widerzone from mid-August through to April, whiletheir trapping is allowed from November toMarch. Each inhabitant has the right to hunt10 wolves while there is no limit on thenumbers trapped. If this seems harsh on thewolves its effect on their population is

Alaska’s Denali National Park12

Alaska’s DenaliNational Park

This is an account of a trek byPierre Zuppiroli and Lise Donnezdeep into Alaska’s Denali Nationalpark from July 15th to 30th lastyear. The original article waswritten by Lise Donnez for theFrench publication La Gazette desGrands Predateurs, which haskindly authorised reproduction inWolf Print. Translation is byGwynne Power.

The Denali National Park & Preserve, awonderfully remote wilderness some 450 kmnorth of the port of Anchorage, extends over24,238 km2. It came into being by act ofCongress in 1917 due to the energy and driveof Charles Sheldon, an enthusiastic hunter, asa result of his mounting concern over thedecline in numbers of Dall sheep in theregion, though laws protecting this creatureonly came into being in 1921.At this time thearea was just 8,400 km2 and it went underthe name of Mount McKinley National Park,after the mountain it encompasses that,at 6,194 metres, is the highest in theUnited States.

At this time Harry Karsten, a determinedand incorruptible man, became head ranger ofthe park and established a network of hutsdesigned to help counter persistent poaching.Here was a man ready to resort to violenceto protect the conservation dream if wordsof warning proved insufficient.

Expansion to its present extent came in1980 when it took on the name Denali, or ‘thegreat one’ in the local Inupiat language.Todaymore than a million people visit the park, 80%of them on the bus that runs up and down the210 km-long Park Highway in the four monthsof summer when it is passable by motorvehicle. But of these only 1% venture morethan 1.6 km from the road, so those who doquickly leave behind any human contact.

During the visitor season the park deploys200 rangers and engages a further 200support staff (bus drivers, receptionists in the

by Lise DonnezPhotos: Pierre Zuppiroli and Lise Donnez

Mask for the Inuits’ “Wolf Dance” (seen at theAnchorage Museum).

Welcome to Alaska! A big grey wolf wishes you welcome as you arrive at Anchorage Airport

Dall sheep

Alaska’s DenaliNational Park

minimal, an estimated 2%, since there areso few human inhabitants within thepark’s boundaries.

The Alaska Range massif lies between theArctic and sub-Arctic belt where climaticconditions are particularly harsh.The growthperiod for vegetation is a mere three monthsand there is very little sunlight due to theoblique angle of sunrays so far from theequator. The average temperature for thehottest month is just 10 to 15 degrees C. Inwinter the trees can draw no sustenancefrom the soil as we are in the permafrostzone, meaning the soil remains frozen even insummer, so their survival depends on sunlight,absent during the winter months – eightmonths of virtual night. At snowmelt thewater remains on the surface, rendering somelands swampy through the summer.

Wooded zones of any density are wellwithin the park, while the majority of the taigais composed of well spaced conifers, whichhelps greatly in wildlife observation.There arerelatively few species, (Picea glauca, Piceamariana), (Betula papyrifera). In winter the taigais dormant. It is a hardy vegetal system thatlives on very little and has a very low level offertility.Animal life is meagre.

The tundra is characterised by sparsevegetal growth, grasses, moss and lichen,punctuated by the occasional dwarf tree –silver birch and alder (Betula Glandulosa andAlnus Crispa) and willow (Salix Alaxensis,Abrusculoides). It is in areas like this that onecan easily come across a Grizzly bear. Thetrees are just about tall enough to cover theirbacks. In dry tundra we come across plantslike Vaccinium Spp., Empetrum nigrum andLedum Spp.

DON’T FEED THE ANIMALSThey take nature extremely seriously inDenali. From its frontiers through theheartland of this park the rangers have nohesitation in strictly enforcing the rules. Oneof the main reasons for not creating pathsthrough the wilderness, apart from thedestructive effects on vegetation, is thatroutes created to facilitate human mobilitycould be taken up by wild creatures, who mayfind traces, such as scraps of food, left byhumans.Use of the paths could become habit-forming for animals and create an undesirableassociation with humankind.Visitors may takenothing from the park, so we saw severaltrophies abandoned in the wild.

The woodlands themselves have aparticular role to play, since they provideessential minerals for various creaturespassing through them. This means strictly nopaths, no fires, no signs and only the officialbus is allowed to use the Park Highway duringthe accessible summer months. In winter,dogs pull the rangers’ sleighs to providegreater mobility with the minimum intrusionon the habitat.The animals face temperaturesfalling to 40 degrees C, even 50 C below zeroand have to function in almost total darkness24/24. Occasionally, in the interests ofresearch, biologists and other interestedscientists take their chances with ski-equipped planes, usually in very early spring.

GRIZZLIESThe name Grizzly – brown bear (Ursus Arctos)– comes from ‘greying’. In fact it is not brownat all, more grey, maroon, white and orange inhighly variable proportions. If in the distanceyou see a mobile glistening orange shape it isvery likely a Grizzly. There are from 250 to400 in the park, along with a similar numberof Black Bears (Ursus Americanus), the latter tobe found in their hundreds of thousandsacross the United States.

These two bears share a very differentimage in the United States.The Black Bear isconsidered something of a nuisance, moreappreciated for the quality of its meat, whichits consumers pronounce delicious. Incontrast the Grizzly enjoys total protection,both in Alaska and the rest of the UnitedStates, known as the Lower 48, as Alaska wasthe 49th state to enter the Union. Hawaii is ofcourse the 50th. Harming a Grizzly could bean expensive folly, with fines of up to$200,000 for the culprit. The Grizzlies ofDenali are 80% herbivores, weighing anaverage 150kg, while those on the Alaskancoastline, the magnificent Kodiak BrownBear tip the scales at an average 700kg,regaling themselves on salmon during thesummer months.

The female Grizzly will often have two, oreven three cubs, which remain with her forthree summers, by which time she is fertileagain and the cubs are left to fend forthemselves to make room for a fresh set ofcubs that she delivers in her lair in January orFebruary. A promiscuous creature, she offersherself to several males in her period inseason, May, June and July.This means that shecan give birth to cubs by different fathers inher 235-day gestation period. Overall, theaverage life expectancy is some 25 years,while some survive until 30.

The average male will command a territoryof some 70Km2, the female half that. Onoccasion these areas will overlap, obviouslymost frequently at mating time.

WOLVESFrom 1986 to 1994 David Mech conducted astudy of 147 wolves fitted with radio collars.It is said that the wolves of Denali are theleast disturbed in the world, yet paradoxicallythe most photographed. Suffice to type in‘Wolves of Denali’ on an Internet searchengine and page on page of pictures with anabundance of accompanying informationwill unfold.

Wandering through the wilderness area wewere able to witness just how free frommolestation the wolves are. There are about100 of them, living in 10 to 15 packs, each offive to seven individuals. When last summerthe dens of the Toklat River and Savage Riverpacks were discovered by Rangers they wereimmediately put off-limits to visitors. TheToklat River pack has four adults and fourpubs: the Savage River pack five of eachgeneration. Among these animals, the highestcause of unnatural death, some 39%, is conflictbetween packs, usually over territorial rights.

13Alaska’s Denali National Park

The Grizzlies of Denali need 40,000calories a day to survive, so they consumeenormous quantities of willow, roots andbilberries and whatever else is available tostock up for winter. In total they have aremarkably varied diet of some 200 vegetalspecies.

Ground squirrel - frequent and easy food forGrizzly bears

The famous Bear Flower (Boykinia richardsonii:Saxifragaceae) that the Grizzly loves.

Denali wolf paw print - a moment of great discovery!

The wolves of Denali are inveteratetravellers. Some have been spotted up to 700km from their initial habitat, while the averagetrek is 133 km, with each pack enjoying aterritory of some 1,020 km2.

The caribou provides the greatest sourceof nourishment for these packs, some 36% oftheir diet, 19% of them calves, 27% moose(12% calves), 14% beavers and 2% Dall sheep.Among the remaining 21%, the arctic squirrel(spermophilus undulates) is amazinglyimportant in the wolf’s dietary balance. Thisdelightful creature, abundant at all times ofyear, has far too enquiring a mind for its owngood, and falls ready prey to wolves as well asproviding a vital energy boost to the Grizzly.

As for the caribou, they migrate south inwinter, leaving the wolves’ prey range limitedand they can go hungry for weeks.The bear’snatural solution is to hibernate.

But spring brings difficulties of its own asbear and cubs emerge from their den inurgent need for food.At times like these it isnot particularly unusual to see bear and wolfsettle to share a meal. If there is confrontationover the prey the Grizzly usually carries theday, but if each side sees mutual advantage,after a great deal of grunting and snarling, theymay decide to devour the downed beast inharmony.We attended a lecture by Americanbiologist Dr Gordon Haber, a specialist inwolf behaviour, who showed some astonishingslides of such scenes.

This trip was the first time we actuallycame face-to-face with a Grizzly. We had athorough sense of being out of place. Welearned that in the eyes of the Grizzly we donot amount to much, and they are noted fortolerance of encroachment on their domain.In all the years since the park’s foundation in1917 there is no recorded case of a humankilled by one of these creatures.The reason issimple. They just do not see humankind asprey. They don’t associate us with asquare meal.

In case of an encounter Rangers stronglyrecommend the salutation ‘Hey Bear’, utteredloud, friendly and clear. This is to alert thecreature to the human presence and toensure that it does not react adversely out ofsurprise reflex.

Another image that will long remain withus was the mid-afternoon encounter withtwo dominant wolves, a black male and a greyfemale, stripping the carcass of a caribou,unhurriedly easing their hunger. They kept awary eye on us but there was no hint ofaggression and they were in no way distractedfrom their repast. Nor was there any hint oftheir yielding their territory.

One voracious eater, a wolverine, diddisappear after noticing our presence. Butonly after we had enjoyed the opportunity ofwatching from a ridge we were wanderingalong. The sighting lasted some 30 minutes.Another sighting to live long in the memory.

The lynx (Lynx Canadensis) has been rarelyseen in recent years as its existence is closelyintertwined with its principal prey, theAmerican hare (Lepus Americanus). This harepopulation fluctuates wildly in the park andwith it the lynx’s.When the hare population isat its lowest, the lynx has been know to attackhoofed creatures as large as the Dall sheep,but with scant success.

MASS TOURISM AND PRESERVATIONOF THE FAUNAAlaska has experienced a range of economicphenomena in its modern history. From theGold Rush through industrial salmon fishingto the exploitation of oil and gas, this vaststate is now entering the age of mass tourism.With most visitors from ‘the lower 48’ theinflux is making tourism Alaska’s principaleconomic resource.

Above we described The Denali NationalPark & Preserve as the world’s ultimatewilderness, a place where virtually nothing hasbeen altered from its natural state by thehand of humankind. The park extends oversuch a huge area that it is possible to enjoythat unique experience of walking for day onday without even a hint of human contact.

This park is an integral part of Americanhistory and culture and is one of those starkcontradictions in which the USA abounds.Though famous internationally as theworld’s greatest polluters, the range of theirnational parks is unparalleled and theiradministration exemplary.

All without exception place thepreservation of wild fauna at the top of theirpriorities. For example, three years ago acamping site was closed in one park because

Pierre Zuppiroli is a French mountainguide. He takes clients around the worldto visit and discover special habitats andenteract with the local populations. Pierreis on the advisory council of FERUS,France’s largest wolf, bear and lynxconservation association. By educationPierre is an agricultural expert.

Lise Donnez, born in Denmark andsettled in France 22 years ago, is a seniordirector in one of the world’s largestsoftware companies. She has always beenpassionate about wolves and devotes allher free time and energy to their cause.Lise serves on FERUS board as thenational Wolf Coordinator.

Pierre and Lise live in Haute-Savoie inthe French Alps. Together they enjoyspending intense moments in nature.Eager to share their experiences, Pierre &Lise’s personal study trips often result inarticles published in FERUS’ quarterlymagazine "La Gazette des GrandsPredateurs".

Alaska’s Denali National Park14

Hunting the moose is a dangerousundertaking. This striking beast, that couldhave walked straight out of pre-history, formsa redoubtable opponent, even for a fit andvibrant pack of wolves. Weighing an average400 kg, one blow from a flying hoof or sweepof antlers, these alone weighing some 50 kg,could bring instant death to a wolf. Muchthought precedes an attack on a moose.Thefirst exploratory step is to surround, at whichpoint we reach the moment of truth. Thewolves weigh up their objective, decidingwhether it is worth a try. If the moose standsits ground, meeting the gaze of the Alpha ofthe pack, it will usually stare it down and it willsurvive.To turn and run is to display weaknessand the pack will scent a kill. Even so it is noeasy victim, and a moose hunt can take daysbefore it is brought to ground and its death.

A female moose we discovered near the Visitor Center!She had two little calves.You normally learn that,“If yousee a moose, run!”, but this one was quite nice.Apparently she spends her summer near the visitorcenter every year with her little ones as she feels saferthere than in the wild back country.....notice that shewears a radio collar.

Caribou (friendly!) we meet on our track!

it had proved too great an attraction for awolf pack, risking corruption of the wolfway of life through too great contact withhumans. Americans are also imbued with adesire to share and educate: their educationalaids and tools are as well thought throughas they are brilliant to observe, andseemingly every Ranger is a natural andenthusiastic communicator.

Let us all hope that this policy of ‘priority towild life’, entrenched for more than a century,survives for longer into the future.

As Denali Ranger Patrick Gamman says:"The national parks will endure as long as wego on believing in their existence".

Patrick Gamman, Ranger at Denali National Park at anoutdoor evening conference on the Wolves of Denali.

Back to the Future:A Visit to Bulgaria 15

Back to theFuture:A VISIT TOBULGARIAEDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATIONVucho is one of two captive wolves rescuedfrom zoos by the Balkani Wildlife Society.Just under a year old, Vucho is anambassador wolf whose role is to try andchange the negative perceptions of wolves inBulgaria. Balkan, a mature wolf, has not beensocialised with humans, but does now enjoymuch better living conditions at the BalkaniWildlife Society project.

In this region in the Pirin mountains, manyof the children’s fathers are hunters who seewild wolves as a threat, and who oftenexaggerate the size of the ‘beasts’ they kill.This negative perception is perpetuated bythe media, and a dead wolf still carries abounty. Despite the prevalent negativeattitudes, the children at both schools wevisited seemed unperturbed at seeing a wildwolf, and were not at all nervous at seeinga ‘ravening beast’ which, in fact, turned out

to be a very playful and skittish young wolfwho was eager to lick as many faces as hecould. At the UKWCT our school visits arehighly regulated and strictly controlled.Risk assessments are carried out prior toany visits, and we always have at least twohandlers per wolf when they are interactingwith the children. In Bulgaria there were nosuch restraints or controls. Childrencrowded excitedly round Vucho, andalthough he was very nervous at first, hesoon relaxed and was keen to returnthe greetings.

The trip to Bulgaria was organised as partof my own research in wolf conservationeducation which is an integral part of mywork with the UKWCT and E4C (Educationfor Conservation), an organisation that hasarisen from my conservation research andwork. I have corresponded with ElenaTsingarska, a biologist with the Balkani

Wildlife Society, for a number of years, andwe finally met in Banff last September at theWorld Wolf Congress. Elena has beenundertaking research as a wolf biologist fora number of years, but also realises theimportance of education. She and herhusband, Sider Sedefchev, have beenresponsible for developing and providing aneducational programme which has beendelivered to at least 9,000 childrenthroughout the two regions of the Pirinmountains and Kraishte. This has includedover 9,000 workbooks and posters, whichhave been painstakingly illustrated by Sider(who is also an artist as well as an ardentconservationist), photographic exhibitions,and seminars and workshops. Theworkbooks are fun for the children tocomplete and at the same time they deliveran educational message about wildlife inBulgaria, biodiversity and conservation.

by Denise TaylorPhotos:Alex Hampson and Denise Taylor

Back to the Future:A Visit to Bulgaria16

to complete our journey gave us someindication of what was in store for us. Theride up to the village was indeed very bumpy,and it was quite scary not being able to seewhether or not there were any sheer dropson either side of the car as we made ourway up the mountain.

We woke the next day to a rural idyll. Thesound of sheep and goats bleeting and theirbells clanking, birdsong, the cockerelcrowing, and the dogs barking. These are noordinary dogs. Known as Karakachan dogs,they are a breed that for centuries has beenused for livestock protection, and arebelieved to be descended from the shepherddogs of the ancient Thracians. The advent ofCommunism saw the near-dying out of theKarakachan breeds of dogs, sheep andhorses after livestock was taken andredistributed among co-operative farms,leaving livestock owners, some of whompreviously had thousands of heads of sheep,with just half a dozen if they were lucky.Such large flocks required many dogs forprotection, and now with no flocks, the dogswere redundant and their owners had lostthe livelihood and the means to continuefeeding them. The dogs were left to fend forthemselves, and most of them did notsurvive the transition.

In an attempt to resurrect the breed, theBulgarian Biodiversity Preservation Society -Semperviva, run by Elena’s artist husband,Sider, and his colleagues are breedingKarakachan dogs and distributing breedingpairs to farmers to protect livestock. Whenwe arrived at the house in Vlahi, they hadfifteen dogs that were part of the breedingprogramme. A further 18 dogs were kept ata base in Pernick. Each day during our staythe eight working dogs would accompanythe shepherds as they took the sheep andgoats up to the first stage of mountainpasture. Six accompany the sheep, and twoaccompany the goat herd.

As well as reaching out to the schools,Elena also has contact with zoos, huntingorganisations and local politicians. Within anhour of the plane touching down in Sofia mycolleague, Alex, and I were whisked off tovisit the city zoo. Elena was due to give aslide presentation about wolves and theirconservation. We were met by Katarina, theZoo’s Environmental Education CentreManager, who is also a keen ornithologist.A group of children and their parentslistened intently to Elena’s presentationbefore going outside to take part in a wolfconservation game.

Although still battling against the tide witha lack of legislation to protect wolves, andprevalent negative attitudes, the hard workbeing carried out is having a positive effect.There is a definite sense of interest andcuriosity being aroused in all sectors of thecommunity, even those opposed to largecarnivores. There is also an underlyingfeeling that the political climate which,although still resistant to conservationissues, is now starting slowly to change.Elena is now being asked to join in meetingsthat would previously have demonstratedhostility to her work.

VLAHIOne of the Balkani Wildlife Society’s fieldcentres is in Vlahi (pronounced Vlaki) in thePirin Mountains, a small village whichbecause of their opposition to Communismwas overlooked by the Communist regime.Nothing has changed in the village fordecades, if not centuries.There is no runningwater, and the road up into the village is adirt track, pitted with holes and frequentlydotted with rocks and boulders. Villagersstill live and work in traditional ways, andhorses and carts are a common sight.

We arrived after dark, and the fact that wehad to collect a four-wheel drive vehiclefrom the town at the base of the mountain

There are two shepherds at the project,Yanko Mihov and Georgi Dimitrov, whoseson Todor, is a colleague of Sider’s andclosely involved with the project. I spentsome time watching Yanko milking the goatsone morning, and when we went back intothe house, he immediately sieved the milkand poured some into a glass for me todrink. It was sweet, warm, and very delicious.Nothing at all like the processed goat’s milkavailable in the UK. The cheese has a similarcreamy, sweet flavour which was verymoreish, and with only a slight tang. Yankowas responsible for shepherding the sheepeach day, while Georgi tended the goats. Asthe summer progresses the sheep will betaken further up into the mountains instages until they finally reach the Alpineregion, where they will pasture for the restof the summer.

The small farmhouse we stayed at in Vlahiwas built by BBPS – Semperviva (namelySider and his brother with the help of theirfather and other friends and colleagues), andwhich they now share with Balkani WildlifeSociety. Another building has also beenpurchased in the village which is to beconverted into an Education and TourismCentre. The building was previously an oldstable block, and is now derelict. BBPS –Semperviva and Balkani are currently tryingto secure funding to redevelop the buildingto attract visitors to the area. Proposals arebeing discussed for Vlahi to become thegateway to the national park higher in themountains, and the planned centre would bean ideal starting point for tourists. TheEducation Centre would be open to schools,organisations and other visitors to learnabout the biodiversity and conservation inthe region. Elena sees Vucho playing a veryimportant ambassadorial role in helping toeducate visiting schoolchildren and adults,who will have the opportunity to meet a realwolf and learn that they are not the

17Back to the Future:A Visit to Bulgaria

had been friendly, however, and Elena was nottoo worried by such rumours. She said thatrecently the hunters had been expressinggreater curiosity about the results of herresearch, and at a photo exhibition in one ofthe towns one hunter had been heardexclaiming how beautiful he thought wolvesactually are.

WALK WITH A WOLFOn our final day in the Pirin Mountains wehad the privilege of going out on a walk withVucho. As with our own wolves at the UKWolf Conservation Trust, I expected Vuchoto be on a leash as we took him for a walkin the beautiful mountain region. Elena’sbiologist colleague, Alexandar Dutsov, hadgone to let Vucho out of his enclosure and Itook this opportunity to tighten the laces onmy boots which had become loose. I had myfoot resting on a boulder, with my back tothe enclosure. All of a sudden I was beingpounced on by a very playful, butnevertheless almost fully grown, wolf. As mycolleagues at the UKWCT will tell you, I amcurrently a little wary around loose wolves,having recently been on the receiving end oftwo of our own wolves’ (Duma and Dakota)boisterous, but damaging playfulness (onewrecked cotton cardigan, a pair of shoes anda couple of good scars now bear testamentto this). I’m glad that I didn’t have the timewith Vucho to become nervous around him.It was straight into the fray and I simply hadto let him know I wasn’t going to put up withhim jumping all over me. Once we’destablished that I wasn’t that easy a target,more from my own perspective than Vucho’sI guess, then we set off up the mountain-side. Or rather the men strode off, and I didmy best to keep up with them. There werefour of us accompanying Vucho: Alexandar,Alex (my colleague) and Geoffrey Gersie,another volunteer who had come fromHolland to spend a month at the project.

enormous and vicious beasts they areportrayed to be in the Bulgarian media.

TRACKING WILD WOLVESTwo days into our stay, it was time to headhigher into the Pirin mountain. After 10years of working in wolf conservation, at lastI was tracking wolves in the wild.The snowshad almost melted, and the ground was softand muddy; good conditions to track wolves.Four of us set out early in the morning:Elena, Sarah Jordaan (a volunteer fromCanada who is studying EnvironmentalModelling at the University of Calgary),Alexand me. Sarah and Alex took one route andElena and I set off in the opposite direction.

Elena and her colleagues are having to usethis method of tracking wolves until theymanage to radio collar some of the wolvesroaming the Pirin mountains. So far, theyhave been very elusive and have managed toavoid the trap lines that have been set. Thetraps comprise modified leghold traps andthe team go to great lengths to make surethat the area is untainted by human scent.The traps are checked daily, and horses areoften used to get close to the traps to see ifany wolves have been caught. Scent-maskingtechniques are also used to disguise humansmells which might deter the wolves fromentering that particular area. One wolf wascaught in the trap recently, but managed toescape, much to the dismay of Elena whowould find it easier to collate more datawith the advantages radio telemetryprovides to track wolves and their packs.

Elena and I carried on walking up the trail,and it wasn’t long before we came acrosssome canid tracks, but these were on a partof the trail frequented by locals and theirdogs so the tracks could have belonged to adog, and there weren’t enough prints in themud to study the gait of the animal.

A little further on, Elena suddenlystopped. A black and yellow salamander

lay very still on the track in front of us.For me, this was an exciting start to thetracking ahead.

Our next set of canine tracks did turn outto be those of a wolf, and Elena explainedthe characteristic signs. The discovery ofscat further along the trail containing wildboar hairs and part of a boar’s hoofconfirmed that we were indeed followingwolf tracks.

We followed the tracks for quite sometime. The wolf had walked with purpose allthe way up the mountain trail. All along thetrail there were also tracks from roe deer,badgers, wild boar, badgers and wild cat, andat a couple of points, the tracks were criss-crossed with those of another wolf.

As a biologist, Elena is interested in whatthe wolves eat, and so has the unpleasanttask of scooping up wolf scat whenever shefinds any, which is then later analysed. Shealso makes a record of where both thetracks and the scat were found using a hand-held Global Positioning Satellite system. Allthese data help to provide a detailed pictureof wild wolves, their behaviour and how theyutilise their territory.

Local hunters are now becoming used toseeing Elena and her colleagues. After thetracking we made our way back to the car,and were driving back down the mountain toVlahi, when we came across a hunter passingthe time of day with one of the mountainresidents. They hailed us down, andexchanged greetings with Elena. Theconversation sounded lively, and after a whilethe hunter got into the car with us. Elenaexplained that he had asked for a lift backdown to the village. She carried on talking tothe hunter, and it was clear that some livelybanter was being exchanged. Later she toldus that they had been talking about the wolfproject, and the rumours going round thatElena and her colleagues were releasing theircaptive wolves into the wild. The exchange

Back to the Future:A Visit to Bulgaria18

The three men were all six foot tall andwith long strides to match. All were alsoreasonably fit, especially Alexandar whospends a great deal of time trampingthrough the mountains in search of theelusive creatures he studies. All five footfour inches of me were now feeling theconstraints of a sedentary lifestyle as I triedto keep up. Vucho seemed concerned that Iwould be left behind and kept coming backto check on me, and to wait for me to catchup. Elena later said he was trying to "keephis pack together".

It was refreshing experience walking witha wolf that was free to run aroundwherever he chose to, which as it happenedwas mostly around us. He playfully tried totrip biologist Alexandar up on severaloccasions, spent some time "testing" mycolleague Alex and me. And there was onepoint where he started stalking a group ofwild Karakachan horses, but thankfully hedid come back to us after Alexandar startedto howl to him.

We managed to take some excellentphotographs of Vucho on his walk, and later,looking at them, I was struck by how muchhe blended in perfectly against the

background. It is easy to appreciate howwolves blend into a forest background, buton this occasion we were out on openground and walking among boulders.

BBPS – Semperviva and the BalkaniWildlife Society are undertaking excellentwork. The project to build the new centre isan exciting one, and having seen what bothorganisations have achieved so far, I think theEducation and Tourism Centre will soon bea successful addition to their project.Bulgaria is a beautiful land with one of thehighest levels of biodiversity in Europe.Traditions which have been practised forcenturies are still evident, and moreimportantly, are proving to be just assuccessful as they have always been,demonstrating that progress isn’t alwaysprogress. Alex and I stepped back in time toa place that is the future of wildlifeconservation in Bulgaria.

And although there is a lot of seriouswork being accomplished, the one thing thatshines through it all, is the great sense of funto be had working in conservation. Bulgariaand its people now have a special place in myheart, and I’m looking forward to manyfuture visits to Vlahi.

The UKWCT has previously donatedfunds to the Balkani Wildlife Society forthe purchase of Karakachan dogs.Breeding pairs of pups are given tofarmers who raise them to providelivestock protection, with the aim ofincreasing tolerance towards wolves andother predators.

One of the aims of the project is torenovate the building that has beenpurchased in Vlahi, and develop this intoan Education Centre and a TourismCentre. It is proposed that Vlahi be the"gateway" for visitors to the PirinMountains. Elena, Sider and theircolleagues are in the process offundraising to build and develop thecentre as well as continuing to raise fundsfor the livestock protection programme.

If you would like to donate money tothis worthwhile project, then pleasecontact the Balkani Wildlife Societydirectly, or send your donations to theUKWCT, and we will forward these on.

Elena TsingarskaThe Balkani Wildlife SocietyDragan Tzankov Blvd.8,1164 SofiaBulgaria