Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich

How raccoon dogs, wolves and lynxes shape badger population dynamics in Naliboki Forest (2000–2026)

Co-author Irina Rotenko

In this extended post, we analyse multi‑annual (2000–2026) changes in the local badger population in Naliboki Forest, central‑western Belarus, in relation to fluctuations in the population density of the raccoon dog — an exotic invader that affects badgers in at least four major ways: earthing of hibernating badgers inside sleeping chamber of their setts, severe competition for carrion as the main early‑spring food, intensification of shared diseases, killing of small cubs (Sidorovich, 2011; Rotenko & Sidorovich, 2017; several posts in this blog).

Short report on the study of breeding and denning behaviour in wolves in Naliboki Forest, April–May 2026

Co-author: Irina Rotenko

In April–May 2026 we searched for wolf dens with pups across approximately 1.7 thousand km² of Naliboki Forest. In total, seven breeding groups of wolves were identified. All of them consisted of simple pairs, and no multi‑breeding cases were recorded this year.

One underestimated cause of wolf pup mortality

The whole my life — from early childhood more than fifty years ago until today — I have spent a great deal of time in the forest. In my childhood I often walked there with my dogs. Even now we keep two to four dogs and live in the forest year‑round. From those early years I hardly remember any problems with ticks, either on myself or on the dogs. Perhaps I encountered none, or only a few ticks during the entire warm season, and they rarely bit me or my dogs. Consequently, our dogs were never sick with piroplasmosis.

Behavioural breakthrough: adult male lynx staying with kittens in the lair

Co-authors: Irina Rotenko and Vintses’ Sidorovich

Yesterday we found another lynx lair situated once again in a treefall beneath the crowns of several large fallen spruces.

New book about wolves: a case study from Belarus — fundraising

Co-author Irina Rotenko

We are preparing a scientific book on the key questions of grey wolf population biology and the species’ survival under both direct persecution by humans and indirect human‑related impacts. The book is based on long‑term field research in Belarus.

By indirect impact, we refer to human‑driven environmental changes — particularly the sharp increase in habitat carrying capacity and the growth of species that are hostile to wolf reproduction. Their interference leads to a collapse in wolf breeding success.

Book title: Challenges and Adaptations of Wolves on the Way to Survive Under Persecution in the Modern Environment

Subtitle: A Case Study of a Local Wolf Population in Naliboki Forest, North‑Western Belarus

Co‑author: Irina Rotenko

The book will be in English, approximately 400 pages with around 300 photographs.

We are currently raising funds to print 30 hard‑copy books. Twenty copies will be sent to major libraries and wolf specialists. A PDF version will be uploaded to ResearchGate for wider access.

If you donate 200 euros or more, you are guaranteed to receive a printed copy. If you make such a donation, please let us know so we can reserve your copy.

If you’d like to support this project and help bring the book to life, you can do so here: https://fr.ulule.com/un-livre-exceptionnel-sur-le-loup

Video registration of a mother wolf with pups in the den

Co-author Irina Rotenko

This May we succeeded in obtaining more than one hundred 20‑second video clips of a mother wolf with her pups in an open couch‑den situated in a treefall. Over three consecutive days (19th–21st May), our camera trap recorded almost three full 24‑hour cycles of the family’s life.

One more finding of a lynx lair

Co-author Irina Rotenko

Denning of the Eurasian lynx, as well as its reproduction in general in non‑rocky, more or less flat regions of Eurasia—where most individuals of the species live—remains an enigmatic aspect of its behaviour and ecology. Gradually, we have become quite advanced in investigating these hidden traits of the species, having already found more than twenty lynx lairs. Step by step, we are moving toward publishing a comprehensive analysis of the concealed features of Eurasian lynx reproduction.

One more case of lynx kitten stay with the mother in April

Co-author Irina Rotenko

Today in Naliboki Forest we revealed one more case of lynx kitten stays with the mother in the mid-April.

Is there a relationship between initial litter size and survival to the first winter in wolf pups in Belarus?

Co-author Irina Rotenko

High mortality in wolf pups is a well‑known demographic bottleneck that strongly shapes wolf populations worldwide. Belarus is no exception: as documented in Sidorovich & Rotenko (2019) and in several posts on this blog, pup mortality here is particularly severe. In Belarus survival of wolf pups to the first winter is a crucial stage in the species population dynamics.

The Reproductive Struggle of Wolves and Brown Bears: Next Steps in Our Study

Co-author Irina Rotenko

Introduction: Bear Recolonization and Lack of Reproduction

Since April 2011 brown bear began re-colonizing Naliboki Forest, where in the past the species was common. During the summer of 2018, consistent observations (mainly via camera traps) revealed seven large male individuals and one or two smaller ones of uncertain sex (presumably females, inferred from the lack of visible testes). From 2020 to 2022, in the Naliboki Forest, we identified ten to twelve brown bears, about half of which (4–7 individuals) did not have visible testes, indicating they were likely females. Despite detailed tracing of the local bear population, no reproduction (i.e. no cubs) in summer has been observed, although mating pairs have been recorded every mating season from May to June.

Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich

How raccoon dogs, wolves and lynxes shape badger population dynamics in Naliboki Forest (2000–2026)

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Short report on the study of breeding and denning behaviour in wolves in Naliboki Forest, April–May 2026

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One underestimated cause of wolf pup mortality

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Behavioural breakthrough: adult male lynx staying with kittens in the lair

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New book about wolves: a case study from Belarus — fundraising

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Video registration of a mother wolf with pups in the den

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One more finding of a lynx lair

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One more case of lynx kitten stay with the mother in April

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Is there a relationship between initial litter size and survival to the first winter in wolf pups in Belarus?

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The Reproductive Struggle of Wolves and Brown Bears: Next Steps in Our Study

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