Wolf and lynx watches: monitoring endangered animal species

The reason for wolf and lynx watches is the monitoring of endangered species. Today, it does not apply only to wolves, lynxes and bears: since 2003, also other protected species are being watched, such as the western capercaillie, hazel grouse, Eurasian otter or, for instance, the wildcat. The name wolf or lynx watch is used today mainly because of tradition and to distinguish the area they have an effect on. Lynx watches are active in Šumava and the Jeseníky mountains, since wolfs are practically not found here and you can get involved in a wolf watch in the Beskids or in the White Carpathians. There, the monitoring focuses on wolves, lynxes and bears.

And what is this actually about? The project involves especially trained volunteers from 15 years of age, who monitor the occurrence of predators and with their continuous movement in the areas of their occurrence, they discourage the potential poachers. The main goal of the monitoring is to establish the long-stay traces of predators. Therefore, volunteers seek out their tracks in the field, along with excrements and fur. These features of a stay serve to the PLA Administration and to the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic for further research.

Apart from photographic documentation, tracking of prints and collection of excrements or fur, the volunteers also record well-preserved and valuable forest growth as possible areas of occurrence of large predators and precious forest animals. They document “újedí” – these are meaty baits laid by hunters close to high seats, the veterinary law expressively forbids their usage. They are also trying to establish attempts of illegal hunting or they debunk untrue myths on the dangerousness of large predators for humans among the citizens and visitors of the PLA. Further, they cooperate with the local PLA administration. The activity of the watches is stronger with the local PLA. They are more active in autumn and winter, when predators are being killed the most.

With the idea of founding voluntary watches came up the zoologist and conservator Ludvík Kunc many years ago. When wolves appeared in the Beskids in the 1920’s, a wave of animosity rose against them and they were being shot without mercy. The arrogance of poaching huntsmen grew, but their acts were virtually unprovable. With the arrival of first lynxes to the Beskids, Ludvík Kunc decided to use the same strategy: if it is almost impossible to prove poaching with certainty, then not even a poacher will be sure, whether they are the only witnesses to their deed. “When I’ve started, only a couple of lynxes lived here. And since the Beskids are an extensive area after all, I chose the area of Smrk and Kněhyně, where I believed it was dearest to the lynxes. I had enough time, so I walked through here two or three times a week. I set my feet everywhere. The forester, who was there at that time, told me, that he will shoot my head off, he was beside himself with anger, only because I was there all the time. And that was my point, that no one from these people could have been sure, that they are alone in the forest.” Today, the wolf and lynx watches are coordinated by the Friends of the Earth Czech Republic in collaboration with PLA administrations.

If you would like to take part in the watches, just pick the mountains where you’d like to go, write to the relevant watch and agree on a date. In autumn, you can participate in an introductory seminar, where you’ll learn everything necessary about the management and course of the watches, about the issue of protection of large predators and about identification of traces of their stay. In autumn, winter and early spring, you can go on a joint event of the watch, when on a base in the mountains (a smaller cottage), 15 people come together, divide themselves into smaller groups and agree on routes for the next day. Early morning, the groups set out on a whole-day mapping patrol into the field, with the watchers looking mainly for tracks, excrements, snatched prey of the predators or illegal meat baits and in the evening or at night after they return, they describe their observations and findings in the record of the patrol.

Joint events usually vary in length, from weekend to week-long and even the demandingness of the patrols will be adapted to the possibilities of everyone and there is usually an experienced watcher in every group. You will also get all the equipment necessary for monitoring. Therefore, you don’t have to worry that it would be too much for you. Well the watches got me quite interested, so it is possible, that we will meet on one of these :).