Game Management Development Foundation agreement No. 26-00-S0MSF02-000002
The aim of the Study is to continue the research activities outlined in the Species Protection Plan for the Grey Wolf Canis lupus (Ozoliņš et al. 2017), as well as the activities required for updating this plan, with particular regard to their significance for hunting management and the possibility of limited use through hunting. The study will provide data for population status assessments in accordance with the European Commission guidelines for reporting under Article 17 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. It will also fulfil the requirements of Article 18(2) of the Directive by giving special attention to scientific work that promotes cross-border cooperation in the study of species covered by the Directive and jointly undertaken by Member States.
The Study will also continue the ongoing research on the golden jackal Canis aureus population in order to determine this predator’s role within the existing species community, assess its impact on game fauna, and forecast its future distribution and population growth. The project will provide methodological support to the State Forest Service (SFS) in monitoring the population status of these selectively exploitable game species and in resolving conflict situations.
Research tasks:
- Maintain research sampling at a minimum of 40%, regardless of the number of wolves hunted, by collecting canine tooth roots from individuals of both sexes older than one year, reproductive organs from adult females, muscle tissue samples for DNA analysis, and stomachs for feeding studies. Whole carcasses shall also be collected from a proportion of hunted wolves and deceased individuals found in the wild.
- In cooperation with hunters, collect carcasses of golden jackals for studies on age, reproductive status, feeding habits, parasitic worms, and genetic relatedness.
- Process and analyze the collected material in the laboratory, determining the exact age and fertility of wolves and jackals hunted during the 2025/2026 season.
- Conduct DNA analyses of samples collected from hunted wolves and jackals.
- Conduct DNA analyses of samples collected from sites where predator attacks on domestic animals have occurred.
- Analyze demographic, kinship, feeding, and parasitological data obtained from wolves and jackals during the 2025/2026 hunting season and compare these data with materials obtained during previous research.
- Provide and present scientifically evaluated information to the State Forest Service (SFS), the media, hunting rights holders, livestock farmers, and research partners for data exchange purposes.
- Prepare an assessment of potential risks and recommendations for a wolf population management strategy, taking into account differences between the reconstructed minimum wolf population size calculated in this study and the wolf population estimates based on SFS counts.
- Promote rational sample collection in response to the increasing and seasonally varying number of hunted wolves by establishing local sample storage centers and procedures for collecting samples from hunters in cooperation with the SFS and hunter organizations.
- Revise and update informative illustrative and video materials on proper sample preparation for use in hunter training seminars and other events, and make these materials available online.