Wolf diet and livestock depredation in North Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is considered as a core area for Dinaric-Pindos/Dinaric-Balkan large carnivore populations. Unfortunately, little is known about their population parameters as well as feeding ecology which represents a serious threat to the management of those populations. This particularly applies to wolves (Canis lupus), which are constantly, throughout the year, under hunting pressure in a large part of the country. This paper represents the first systematic analysis of wolf feeding habits in B&H, providing the first results on wolf-livestock depredation. Results suggest that wild ungulates were the most important source of food, with domestic animals being a secondary source. Other types of prey or food items were of little significance in the wolf diet. The proportion of dog remains were among the highest in Europe. The results of the questionnaire indicate that sheep were the most often depredated (69%) livestock species. Rare usage of guardian dogs and electric fences resulted in increased losses of domestic animals. This paper represents the first contribution to better knowledge and future management plans of the wolf in B&H.