Home Ranges of Wolves in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland, Compared with Other Eurasian Populations

Abstract

Home-range size, its seasonal variation, and pattern of home-range use of wolves ( Canis lupus ) were studied in Bialowieėa Primeval Forest (BPF) located on the Polish-Belarussian borderland in 1994–1996. In the Belarussian part of BPF where wolves were hunted, their winter density was 0.9–1.5 individuals/100 km2, and mean pack size was 2.7–3.2 wolves. In the Polish part of BPF where wolves were protected, their densities were 2–2.6 individuals/100 km2, and mean pack size was four to five wolves. In spring-summer, wolves usually moved singly or in pairs (65% of observations), but in autumn-winter, 51% of seen or snowtracked groups were whole packs. In 1994–1996, four wolves belonging to two neighbouring packs of five to seven individuals each were radiotracked in the Polish part of BPF for 4–18 months. Their total home ranges, estimated by the minimum convex polygon method with 100% of locations, covered 173–294 km2. Core areas of home ranges, comprising 50% of locations, were small: 11–23 km2, or 5–13% of the total home ranges. Packs hunted both in core areas and peripheral parts of the ranges, but the majority of their diurnal resting sites were located in core areas. Home ranges of wolves were 141–168 km2 in spring-summer (May-September) and 99–271 km2 in autumn-winter (October-April). There was nearly no overlap of the two packs’ home ranges (0–3% in various seasons). Variation in the size of seasonal home range was observed for two breeding females. During parturition and early nursing in May–June, they confined their activity to an average of 17 km2. Literature on sizes of home ranges of Eurasian wolves was reviewed. Home ranges of wolves increased from 80–240 km2 in southern and central Europe to 415–500 km2 in northern Scandinavia. Smallest ranges were reported from regions where red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) were common. The population status of wolves affected size of their ranges; they were large in low-density colonizing populations and small in established populations.