free living wolves in germany

Diary entry, 01.04.2011, Helene Möslinger

Pictures of the day (4 images)   

Over the winter time I was in Germany and did a practical training at LUPUS (Wildbiologisches Büro LUPUS) by Ilka Reinhardt and Gesa Kluth. Together with Sebastian Koerner and Catriona Blum they are doing the monitoring of the free living wolves in the Lausitz in Germany. In 2000 Germany had again a reproductive wolf pair. In the mean while, over 10 years later, Germany has 7 packs, 3 pairs and some individual wolves. 6 of these 7 packs and 2 pairs live in the Lausitz. The biologists collect faeces for nutrition analysis to find out what the wolves eat on; furthermore they collect faeces to do genetic analysis for information about the genetic variability and the individuality. They do also research on the dispersal behaviour by using radio collars. LUPUS did also work on preventive methods for farmers to protect their livestock by fencing or using herding dogs.

Another important part is the public work and for this they stay in contact with the Kontaktbüro Wolfsregion Lausitz (www.wolfsregion-lausitz.de) which are doing presentations, excursions, exhibitions and answers questions according the wolves.

Wolves do not need wilderness they are very adaptive, they have their territories in open-cast mining areas as well as in areas used by the military but also in cultivated agriculture used landscapes.