Results of our study on wolf reproduction in Naliboki Forest in 2022

Co-author Irina Rotenko

This year we studied the question of wolf reproduction in Naliboki Forest in the area of about one thousand square kilometres. In the spring of 2022, there were present two breeding groups of wolves in the study area: a couple and an adult male with two pregnant females. All five adult wolves were recognisable, and we knew them from the previous years.

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Video summary on wolf reproduction, Naliboki Forest, 2020

Coauthor Irina Rotenko

Since the last May we began using video mode in our camera-traps more often in order to create a scientific film about reproduction in wolves in few years. The video sequence you see below is a kind of a report on the video results we gained across breeding of wolves in Naliboki Forest in 2020. In this video you see some interesting moments demonstrating various behaviour of wolf pups and parents during this secretive period.

You can support the research on large carnivores in Naliboki Forest by buying just a coffee. It will help to keep the study going.

The united wolf families in the new homesite after stalking of the pups by lynx

Coauthor Irina Rotenko

This post is the continuation of four recent post about breeding of one wolf group in Naliboki Forest, the central western part of Belarus: (1); (2); (3); (4). After so much disturbance to the wolf family by the lynxes (at least, by two different adult males) in the recent coaching place the families relocated about one kilometre away. Avoiding extra disturbance to the wolf family, we did not search for possible carcasses of pups that could be killed by the lynxes.

Continue reading “The united wolf families in the new homesite after stalking of the pups by lynx”

Behaviour of wolf pups and parents on the stage, when the pups are 30-100 days old: new knowledge for the European wolves

Coauthor Irina Rotenko

Until wolf pups are about one month old, they stay mainly at dens being taken care of by parents who stay at the den or, at least, in the close proximity. Then wolf pups begin to be more mobile, but very hidden life of a wolf family in the tall and dense vegetation makes hard to learn the pup behaviour in June-July. The topic of wolf pups life when they are about 30-100 days old is still very poorly known in Europe and the whole Eurasia. Smart and careful usage of camera-traps can help in studying the question, while telemetry does not seem to be a right method in this case. In our study, besides camera-trapping we also used several other sources of data that are mentioned below in the post.

Continue reading “Behaviour of wolf pups and parents on the stage, when the pups are 30-100 days old: new knowledge for the European wolves”

Two wolf mothers, two fathers, united pups and female pup-sitter in one homesite in Naliboki Forest

Coauthor Irina Rotenko

In the previous post we presented videos about digging of a burrow-den by two wolf couples, both having pups, and taking one of the litter in this prepared den, where the pups stayed several days.

Continue reading “Two wolf mothers, two fathers, united pups and female pup-sitter in one homesite in Naliboki Forest”