Wolf diet in an agricultural landscape of north-eastern Turkey

Abstract

In this study, we investigated wolf feeding ecology in Kars province, north-eastern Turkey, by analysing 72 scat samples collected in spring 2013. Ongoing camera trap surveys suggest that large wild ungulates are exceptionally rare in the region. On the contrary, livestock is abundant. Accordingly, scats analysis revealed that livestock constituted most of the biomass intake for wolves, although small mammals were the most frequent prey items. Wild ungulates were occasional prey, and although wolves make use of the main village garbage dump as a food source, garbage remains were scarce in scat samples. Wolf dependence on anthropogenic resources, primarily livestock, generates human-wildlife conflicts in the study area. Uncontrolled carcass disposal seems to boost this wolf behaviour. Synanthropy enhances the probability of wolf-human encounters and thus increases the risk of direct persecution, vehicle collisions, and hybridisation with dogs. When livestock is not available, small mammals are an important alternative prey for wolves. This may increase interspecific competition, particularly with lynx, which is also lacking natural prey in the area. Our preliminary results contribute to wolf ecology and conservation in the Anatolian-Caucasian range, where further studies are urgently needed to generate baseline data.

Anthropogenic food resources foster the coexistence of distinct life history strategies: year‐round sedentary and migratory brown bears

“…SAMNP covers an area of 225.2 km 2 , but only 49.69 km 2 is forested (Capitani et al ., ). The remaining 278.7 km 2 of forest is not protected, for a total forest cover of 328.4 km 2 (hereafter Sarıkamış forest).…”

“…Wild ungulate prey species are very rare (Capitani et al ., ). Wolves Canis lupus and Caucasian lynx Lynx lynx dinniki also inhabit the study area (Chynoweth, Coban & Şekercioğlu, ; Capitani et al ., ). Although a viable bear population is known to occur ca.…”

“…Sarıkamış forest is fragmented, and is heavily used for logging, grazing, harvesting and recreation. The understory vegetation is over‐exploited, with consequent food scarcity for grazers (Capitani et al ., ) and frugivorous species. Wild ungulate prey species are very rare (Capitani et al ., ).…”

“…The understory vegetation is over‐exploited, with consequent food scarcity for grazers (Capitani et al ., ) and frugivorous species. Wild ungulate prey species are very rare (Capitani et al ., ). Wolves Canis lupus and Caucasian lynx Lynx lynx dinniki also inhabit the study area (Chynoweth, Coban & Şekercioğlu, ; Capitani et al ., ).…”

DISTRIBUCIJA VUKA (Canis lupus L., 1758) U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI

“…Njegov areal obuhvata šumovite predjele brdskog i planinskog pojasa (centralni i istočni dio BiH -71,43%; južni mediteranski -16,33% i zapadni dio -7,65%), dok se samo sporadično sreće (4,59%) u nizijskim dijelovima Posavine (sjever Bosne i Hercegovine) i u planinskom pojasu u zonama iznad gornje šumske granice. (Cuesta et al, 1991;Meriggi et al, 1996;Vos, 2000;Pezzo et al, 2003;Sidorovich et al, 2003;Mech & Boitani, 2004;Capitani et al, 2015). Velike materijalne štete koje tom prilikom nastaju su glavni izvor sukobljavanja čovjeka i vuka.…”