Update from our Germany wolf volunteer project
Four days of surveying have gone by quickly. Over almost 400 km in eight different wolf territories, everyone has become very skilled at detecting and documenting wolf evidence in the field. This year we explored some new sites, unsure what we will find there. While in certain areas an impressive amount of data could be collected, in others no evidence of wolf presence was found. While this is obviously less satisfying after a long day of hiking and concentration, those zeros are equally important to gain insight into the current movements of known packs.
We enjoyed exploring different forest types and were treated to other sightings as well: a fox on the trail, a group of wild boar whizzing by, a startled stone marten, red kites and buzzard flying over, lots of roe deer and the more impressive red deer with their large antlers. And there were always dung beetles around to keep us amused.
Group 1 has found 123 wolf scats, of which 89 were collected. Of these, seven will be analysed by DNA sequencing to help confirm who left them. We also found two long wolf tracks and heard pups and adults howling in the distance. Our scientist Lotte even had a very brief sighting! As expeditioner Carine said, “walking in the wolves’ tracks and documenting their ways of life, gives you a deeper connection to the species.”
Group 1 finished on Friday. We thank all of them for being committed to the task, for the excellent team spirit and and the fun times. Safe travels back home and we look forward to welcoming group 2 in Bremen on Saturday.
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