The managament plan for the large carnivores

in the Czech RepublicPetra Nová1, Jaroslav Červený2, Petr Koubek2, Luděk

Bufka3, Dana Bartošová4, Jaromír Bláha5 a Pavel Marhoul1

1Agentura ochrany přírody a krajiny ČR Praha, 2Ústav biologie obratlovců AV ČR Brno, 3Správa NP a CHKO Šumava Kašperské Hory, 4Správa CHKO

Beskydy Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, 5Hnutí DUHA Brno

Actual state of the project

• processing the document suggestions from the Ministry of Environment and project opponents

• prepairing for resubmitting to a Ministry of Environment

• Project duration: 10 years (expected dates: 2008/9-2017/8)

• Project partners: AOPK ČR, UBO AV ČR Brno, DUHA

Project content

• taxonomy, distribution, biology, legal status

• conservation measures taken recently

• major threats

• targets of the management plan

• plan of actions

• success criteria and plan of the realisation

Major threats

unknownunknownunknownDiseases

very lowvery lowvery lowDecrease of prey number

-meduim - low-Hybridisation

very lowlowmediumEnvironmental changes

lowlowmediumDisturbance

mediummediummediumFragmentation of biotopes

mediummediummediumGenetic isolation

medium highlowNegative public opinion

mediummediummediumMortality

caused by traffic

highhighhighPoaching

Eurasian lynxWolfBrown bear

Impact of threat

Threat

Targets of the management plan

• To achieve at least the area of distribution and population abundance of Eurasian lynx, that would correspond to a recent maximum held in years 1995 – 1996.

• To preserve the actual area of distribution and population abundance of wolf and brown bear in the ČR and, in case of their further expansion, to ensure the protection of these animals in newly occupied areas.

• To lower negative impact of poaching on large carnivores populations.

• To change negative public attitude to large carnivores and involve public in the protection of large carnivores.

To ensure long-term occurence of wolf, brown bear and Eurasian lynx as wild-living animals in the Czech Republic together with minimalization of damages and conflicts caused by these large carnivores.

Plan of actions

1. Public educational campaign

2. Maintaining the transmittance of corridors Plan of actions

3. Protection of large carnivores via Natura 2000 sites

Lynx lynx, Canis lupus, Ursus arctos

pSCI Beskydy

Lynx lynx

pSCI Šumava, Blanský les, Boletice, Beskydy

Plan of actions

4.1 Creation of common program of large carnivores monitoring and research

4. Cross-border cooperation

4.2 Initiation of the discussion about enlargement of the area with continual protection of wolf in the Slovakia

Plan of actions

5.1 Detailed monitoring in selected areas

5.2 Mapping the carnivores' area of distribution in the whole Czech Republic using questionnaires

5.3 Collecting the data about dead individuals

5. Detailed monitoring of the populations state

Plan of actions

6. Increasing the effectiveness of the compensation system

6.1 Modification of legislature concerning compensations

6.2 Education of employees of state administration, veterinaries and authorized experts

6.3 Edition of the methodology of damage assessment

6.4 Creation of the system for monitoring damages and its central database

Plan of actions

7. Cooperation with police of the CR on the procedure of poaching investigation.

8. Elimination of the problematic individuals

9. Research

9.1 Effect of large carnivores on forest ecosystems

9.2 Research of the genetic structure of populations

Plan of actions

Acknowledgement

Miloš Anděra (NM Praha), Pavel Benda (NP ČŠ), Ota Buršík (LČR-LS Rumburk), Alena Červená (MŽP ČR), Marek Drha, Ladislav Kašík, Libor Pena, Milan Suk (NPŠ- LS Křemelná), Thomas Engleder (Önj. Haslach), Petra Fejklová (PFřUK Praha), Werner Hentschel (CHKO Labské pískovce), Marco Heurich (NP Bayer.Wald), František Jaskula (CHKO Beskydy), Michaela Kocurová (PřF UK Praha), Ludvík Kunc (Ostrava), František Šulgan (Rožnov p. R.), František Shrbený (VLS Praha), Radek Střeleček (NP Šumava), Ondřej Volf (AOPK ČR), Manfred Wölfl (Naturpark Bayer.Wald)

Creation of the management plan for the large carnivores in the CR was financially supported by grant MŽP ČR VaV 620/1/03.