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.
Continue reading “Short report on the study of breeding and denning behaviour in wolves in Naliboki Forest, April–May 2026”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.
Continue reading “Behavioural breakthrough: adult male lynx staying with kittens in the lair”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.
Continue reading “Video registration of a mother wolf with pups in the den”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.
Continue reading “One more finding of a lynx lair”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.
Continue reading “Is there a relationship between initial litter size and survival to the first winter in wolf pups in Belarus?”Co-author Irina Rotenko
Eight years ago, we began following an adult female lynx in the central-southern part of Naliboki Forest, in the localities of Jamna, Budy, and Barki, covering an area of about 40–60 square kilometers. We named her Aurelja. A Belgian volunteer once snow-tracked her with a kitten for several days. The volunteer’s name was Aurelja, and she asked us to name this mother lynx after her. We agreed.
Continue reading “At least ten-year-old female lynx Aurelja has two kittens this year”Co-authors: Louise Giovannelli and Irina Rotenko
From mid-August to the end of October, we closely monitored the wolf families that had been registered as denning in Naliboki Forest (central-western Belarus) in late spring of this year. In addition to our spring findings, we discovered in early autumn that one breeding group had previously gone unnoticed. This group exhibited double-breeding behavior.
Continue reading “Again, higher survival of wolf pups in the conditions of lower numbers of lynxes and brown bears in summer 2025”Co-author: Irina Rotenko
Over the last decades in Naliboki Forest (central-western Belarus), we have repeatedly documented multi-breeding wolf packs — most often double broods, occasionally triple broods. We now estimate that roughly two-thirds of wolf packs in this region reproduce in this intensive, multi-breeding strategy. This is likely driven by a combination of abundant prey and continued human persecution of wolves.
Continue reading “Wolf breeding clan under conditions of surplus prey abundance in Naliboki Forest: a new phenomenon”Co-author Irina Rotenko
Over two decades ago, for the first time, I encountered a lynx family’s tracks showing that the mother had very small kittens in mid-December. The kittens’ footprints were almost half the size of a typical kitten’s at this time of year. A few years later, I observed this phenomenon again.
Continue reading “Something outstanding about breeding in lynxes”Recently, another former lynx den was discovered, which was active in the months of June and July.
Continue reading “One more case of lynx denning”
Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich 