Does Wolf Management in Latvia Decrease Livestock Depredation? – An Analysis of Available Data

Šuba, Jurģis; Žunna, Agrita; Bagrade, Guna; Done, Gundega; Ornicāns, Aivars; Pilåte, Digna; Stepanova, Alda; Ozoliņš, Jurijs

doi:10.20944/preprints202304.0495.v1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 32 publications

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“…Consequently, the mean loss per night attack, as observed by Finďo and Hood in 2001, closely aligns with the ndings of our study. The mean number of killed sheep and goats per single wolf attack, as found in our study, falls approximately in the middle of the range reported from other areas(Fico et al 1993, Gazzola et al 2008, Muhly and Musiani 2009, Šuba et al 2023).…”

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confidence: 70%

The impact of large carnivore population density on sheep and goat losses in Slovakia

Finďo,

Gallay,

Mikušová

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The population density of large carnivores is a crucial factor influencing livestock losses; however, existing research on this subject has produced conflicting results. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the population density of brown bears and Eurasian wolves and the resulting losses in sheep and goats due to these predators. We also compared the livestock losses caused by wolves and bears during a single attack. Our dataset comprised 1,285 wolf and 539 bear attacks recorded from 2007 to 2021. Over this period, wolves killed 6,286, and bears killed 1,345 sheep and goats. To assess the relationship between the mean density of large carnivores and the number of depredation events or combined sheep and goat losses, we employed a generalized linear model (GLM) with a log-link and a negative binomial error distribution. Additionally, we utilized a negative binomial generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to compare differences in the mean number of animals killed per depredation event. Our results reveal an increase in sheep and goat losses and depredation events correlated with a consistent rise in wolf density. However, this pattern did not hold for bear density, as losses caused by bears significantly declined with an increase in their density. The mean number of sheep and goats killed per attack was higher for wolves (4.86) than for bears (2.48). Our research suggests that livestock damage may not necessarily escalate with an increase in the population density of predators, highlighting differences between wolves and bears.

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confidence: 70%

The impact of large carnivore population density on sheep and goat losses in Slovakia

Finďo,

Gallay,

Mikušová

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Genetic Monitoring of Grey Wolves in Latvia Shows Adverse Reproductive and Social Consequences of Hunting

Žunna,

Ruņģis,

Ozoliņš

et al. 2023

Biology

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Nowadays, genetic research methods play an important role in animal population studies. Since 2009, genetic material from Latvian wolf specimens obtained through hunting has been systematically gathered. This study, spanning until 2021, scrutinizes the consequences of regulated wolf hunting on population genetic metrics, kinship dynamics, and social organization. We employed 16 autosomal microsatellites to investigate relationships between full siblings and parent–offspring pairs. Our analysis encompassed expected and observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, allelic diversity, genetic distance and differentiation, mean pairwise relatedness, and the number of migrants per generation. The Latvian wolf population demonstrated robust genetic diversity with minimal inbreeding, maintaining stable allelic diversity and high heterozygosity over time and it is not fragmented. Our findings reveal the persistence of conventional wolf pack structures and enduring kinship groups. However, the study also underscores the adverse effects of intensified hunting pressure, leading to breeder loss, pack disruption, territorial displacement, and the premature dispersal of juvenile wolves.

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Wolf (Canis lupus) Predation in Pastoral Livestock Systems: Case Study in Croatia

et al. 2023

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The predation of livestock by gray wolf (Canis lupus; hereafter, wolf) is a problem throughout eastern Europe and poses a threat to sustainable pasture-based livestock production in some areas. In Croatia, farmers have alarmed the public with news of frequent wolf attacks in the last decade, and wolves, as protected animals, are perceived as a pest and a threat. The aim of this study was to analyze and present the frequency of attacks and killed/injured domestic animals in Croatia. During the ten-year period (2010–2020), 13,359 attack events were reported, where it was determined, with certainty, that the attack was by the wolf. In these attacks, 19,111 domestic animals were killed and 4634 were injured. Predation events occurred predominantly (92.71%) in three counties located in southern Croatia (sub-Mediterranean Croatia), whose total area is 11,170 km2 (19.74% of the total area of Croatia). The most frequently killed species were sheep (64.78% of all killed animals), which was followed by goats (19.28%) and cattle (9.59%). The highest frequency of attacks and animals killed was recorded in the summer followed by spring and autumn, and the lowest was in winter. The majority of attacks (79.57%) occurred in the morning and during the day. The animal with the highest average number killed per attack was sheep (1.64), which was followed by goats (1.38), cattle (0.99), horses (0.94), donkeys (0.95), and guardian dogs (0.92). During the studied period, in the three counties with the most frequent attacks, 11.72% of the average goat population, 6.34% of the cattle population, and 5.61% of the sheep population were killed. Wolf predation in sub-Mediterranean Croatia presents a threat to the population of domestic ruminants dominantly kept in pastoral livestock systems, and additional efforts need to be made to achieve co-existence between the wolf population and farmers.

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Does Wolf Management in Latvia Decrease Livestock Depredation? – An Analysis of Available Data

Cited by 3 publications

References 32 publications

The impact of large carnivore population density on sheep and goat losses in Slovakia

The impact of large carnivore population density on sheep and goat losses in Slovakia

Genetic Monitoring of Grey Wolves in Latvia Shows Adverse Reproductive and Social Consequences of Hunting

Wolf (Canis lupus) Predation in Pastoral Livestock Systems: Case Study in Croatia

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