The number of wolves, the reasons for its growth. Monitoring of hunting and commercial mammals Wolf numbers, reasons for its growth

There are currently 50 thousand wolves living in Russian forests. According to experts, this is twice as much as is necessary for the normal functioning of the ecosystem. Every year, wolves destroy livestock, causing damage of approximately 10-12 billion rubles.

Russian regions can be divided into three groups. The first consists of those subjects for whom problems with wolves, fortunately, are not relevant - there are few gray predators there, and sometimes they themselves are under protection. For example, in Kuzbass in 2015 there were only 16 wolves, and in 2016 not a single one was found.

“Since their number is zero, no permits were issued to catch them,” said Pavel Stepanov, head of the department for the protection of wildlife in the Kemerovo region. Wolves do not bother the residents of the Omsk region either - there are only a little more than a hundred predators in the entire region.

But those regions where the wolf is not a rarity, but a severe enemy, are included in the remaining two groups. All these regions suffer from predators and lose millions of rubles every year. But some are characterized by financial incentives for hunters who hunt predators and thereby regulate their numbers. Others, on the contrary, are characterized by the growth of wolf packs, which are not restrained, since there are no funds for this in the regional budgets.

Thus, Yakutia lost more than 600 million rubles from predator attacks in a year: in 2016, animals destroyed more than 6.8 thousand deer and 140 horses in the republic, which is why there is a significant decrease in the number of livestock in reindeer herding farms. In turn, hunters, with a total number of wolves of approximately 12 thousand individuals, killed 812 predators, which is 15% more than a year earlier.

“There are 40 teams of wolf hunters working in Yakutia. The Sakhabult concern accepts wolf skins from hunters at a price of 20 thousand rubles per adult,” the republic’s hunting resources department clarified.

In Kamchatka, where there is also a program for rewarding hunters for hunting wolves, in 2017 they decided to double its funding. “The bonus for one shot wolf will be, as before, 30 thousand rubles. However, if in the previous three years 1.38 million rubles were allocated for shooting 46 predators, then in 2017 2.25 million rubles will be allocated for shooting 75 animals ", said Vsevolod Voropanov, head of the department of licensing and state hunting registry of the forestry agency of the Kamchatka region.

As in Yakutia, in Kamchatka, reindeer herding farms mainly suffer from wolves - predators destroy 2.5–3 thousand deer annually; in 2013–2014 alone, the damage from them in the region amounted to about 65 million rubles. Scientists recommended increasing wolf production. They calculated that in order to curb the growth of the predator population on the peninsula, but not put them at risk of extinction, it is necessary to shoot about 70–75 animals annually.

“The hunter just needs to bring the skin of the animal to the forestry agency and report the area where it was shot. A special stamp is applied to the skin, which is not erased. Because of this mark, it is no longer possible to hand over the skin again,” Voropanov explained.

No money - expect trouble

But not all regions cope with the dominance of predators. It is especially difficult for those entities that cannot pay the work of wolf hunters or pay them small bonuses. They make up the third group - territories into which predators “grabbed with a wolf’s grip.”

In Tuva, according to game experts, the population dangerous predators exceeds the norm by 1.6 times: if local scientists consider the number of wolves to be no more than 800 individuals safe, then there are 1.5 thousand animals in the republic. “However, in 2010 there were 2.6 thousand of them, but thanks to an organized company they were eliminated,” experts note, adding that in 2016 they paid 8 thousand rubles for an adult wolf, and 4 thousand rubles for a wolf cub.

“The damage caused by wolves to livestock production in Tuva reaches 30-40 million rubles a year,” the State Committee for Hunting of the Republic added.

But in the Irkutsk region and Trans-Baikal Territory in 2016, hunters were not paid for wolf skins. As a result, there are currently about 5 thousand predators in the Angara region, with a safe threshold for ecological balance of 1.5-2 thousand, and in Transbaikalia - almost 3 thousand. In Transbaikalia, wolf attacks on flocks of sheep, herds of horses and herds of cows occur both in the steppe southeastern regions and in the taiga territories of the western part of the region.

“According to the winter census of 2016, 2,821 wolves live in the Trans-Baikal Territory. The regional budget does not reward hunters for hunting them; as a result, in 2016, 379 wolves were killed in the region, in 2015 - about 350, and, for comparison, in 2013 “When payments were made, over 1 thousand individuals were caught,” the State Hunting Service of Transbaikalia clarified.

In addition to the lack of finances, without which hunters, unless they themselves work as shepherds or reindeer herders, have little interest in hunting wolves, there are a number of other problems. Thus, according to the senior state inspector of the service for the protection and use of wildlife of the Irkutsk region, Pavel Minchenko, in the Angara region there is not enough experienced hunters, and they are also limited in the choice of mining tools: wolf cubs cannot use traps, snares and chemicals.

Tighten the loop

“The damage caused by the wolf in Russia is, according to Tsentrokhotkontrol, 12 billion rubles. That is, it is the largest agricultural pest in the world.” large mammals", said zoologist, game warden and writer, editor of the Russian Hunting Journal Mikhail Krechmar. He added that the wolf problem is most relevant for the northern and taiga regions Far East, where reindeer herding has been preserved on a significant scale.

“At the same time, in areas of intensive herd reindeer husbandry, it is difficult to effectively fight wolves by shooting. One of the best wolf herders in the country, Anton Bersenev, claims that the cost of hunting one wolf in European Russia if you have all the necessary technical equipment (cars, snowmobiles) and a developed road network - at least 1 thousand dollars. In the conditions of reindeer herding regions of the Far East, this cost must be increased at least three times, and in particularly inaccessible areas - five times. I emphasize that this is only if we are talking about shooting.”

According to the expert, regulation of wolf numbers using loops is widespread in Canada and Alaska. However, in Russia this method of fishing is prohibited and invariably causes criticism from environmentalists. So, in December 2016 famous journalist and member of the Advisory Council International Fund Animal Protection IFAW Vladimir Pozner opposed the proposal of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation to allow snare fishing for wolves and jackals.

Posner called the loops a torture device that causes terrible pain to the animal. He also noted that if the number of an animal species is limited, it would be by shooting. Chairman of the Board of the International Fund for Animal Welfare Azzedine Downs is also confident that snare fishing will lead to catastrophic consequences, since other species of animals can get caught in a snare placed on a wolf, which can have a particularly negative impact on species listed in the Russian Red Book.

Kretschmar does not share this position. “During my studies in America, I myself took part in measures to control the wolf population using snare fishing. I must say that I did not observe any bycatch additional types during these events<…>In addition, I will say that wolf snare fishing in all places where it affects the number of farm animals has not stopped for a minute, despite its prohibition. In most places people just don't know it was banned."

The Russian economy loses 10 billion rubles a year from gray predators

Primorye24. The annual damage to the Russian economy, in particular to agriculture, from wolf attacks exceeds 10 billion rubles. According to experts, the population of predators exceeds 50 thousand individuals - this is twice their desired number.

Selfish interest

Russian regions can be divided into three groups. The first consists of those subjects of the Russian Federation for which problems with wolves, fortunately, are irrelevant - there are few gray predators there, and sometimes they themselves are under protection. For example, in Kuzbass in 2015 there were only 16 wolves, and in 2016 not a single one was found. “Since their number is zero, no permits were issued to catch them,” said Pavel Stepanov, head of the department for the protection of wildlife in the Kemerovo region. Wolves do not bother the residents of the Omsk region either - there are only a little more than a hundred predators in the entire region. There are no problems with them on Sakhalin either.

But those regions where the wolf is not a rarity, but a severe enemy, are included in the remaining two groups. All these regions suffer from predators and lose millions of rubles every year. But some are characterized by financial incentives for hunters who hunt predators and thereby regulate their numbers. Others, on the contrary, are characterized by the growth of wolf packs, which are not restrained, since there are no funds for this in the regional budgets.

Thus, Yakutia lost more than 600 million rubles from predator attacks in a year: in 2016, animals destroyed more than 6.8 thousand deer and 140 horses in the republic, which is why there is a significant decrease in the number of livestock in reindeer herding farms. In turn, hunters, with a total number of wolves of approximately 12 thousand individuals, killed 812 predators, which is 15% more than a year earlier. “There are 40 teams of wolf hunters working in Yakutia. The Sakhabult concern accepts wolf skins from hunters at a price of 20 thousand rubles per adult,” the republic’s hunting resources department clarified.

In Kamchatka, where there is also a program for rewarding hunters for hunting wolves, in 2017 they decided to double its funding. “The bonus for one shot wolf will be, as before, 30 thousand rubles. However, if in the previous three years 1.38 million rubles were allocated for shooting 46 predators, then in 2017 2.25 million rubles will be allocated for shooting 75 animals ", said Vsevolod Voropanov, head of the department of licensing activities and the state hunting register of the forestry agency of the Kamchatka region.

As in Yakutia, in Kamchatka, reindeer herding farms mainly suffer from wolves - predators destroy 2.5-3 thousand deer annually, only in 2013-2014. the damage from them amounted to about 65 million rubles in the region. Scientists recommended increasing wolf production. They calculated that in order to curb the growth of the predator population on the peninsula, but not put them at risk of extinction, it is necessary to shoot about 70-75 animals annually.

“The hunter just needs to bring the skin of the animal to the forestry agency and report the area where it was shot. A special stamp is applied to the skin, which is not erased. Because of this mark, it is no longer possible to hand over the skin again,” Voropanov explained.

No money - expect trouble

But not all regions cope with the dominance of predators. It is especially difficult for those entities that cannot pay the work of wolf hunters, or pay them small bonuses. They make up the third group - territories into which predators “grabbed with a wolf’s grip.”

In Tuva, according to game managers, the population of dangerous predators exceeds the norm by 1.6 times: if local scientists consider the number of wolves to be no more than 800 individuals safe, then there are 1.5 thousand animals in the republic. “However, in 2010 there were 2.6 thousand of them, but thanks to an organized company they were eliminated,” experts note, adding that in 2016 they paid 8 thousand rubles for an adult wolf, and 4 thousand rubles for a wolf cub.

“The damage caused by wolves to livestock production in Tuva reaches 30-40 million rubles a year,” added the State Committee for Hunting and Hunting of the republic.

But in the Irkutsk region and Trans-Baikal Territory in 2016, hunters were not paid for wolf skins. As a result, there are currently about 5 thousand predators in the Angara region, with a safe threshold for ecological balance of 1.5-2 thousand, and in Transbaikalia - almost 3 thousand. In Transbaikalia, wolf attacks on flocks of sheep, herds of horses and herds of cows occur both in the steppe southeastern regions and in the taiga territories of the western part of the region.

“According to the winter census of 2016, 2,821 wolves live in the Trans-Baikal Territory. The regional budget does not reward hunters for hunting them; as a result, in 2016, 379 wolves were killed in the region, in 2015 - about 350, and, for comparison, in 2013 “When payments were made, over 1 thousand individuals were caught,” the State Hunting Service of Transbaikalia clarified.

In addition to the lack of finances, without which hunters, unless they themselves work as shepherds or reindeer herders, have little interest in hunting wolves, there are a number of other problems. Thus, according to the senior state inspector of the service for the protection and use of wildlife of the Irkutsk region, Pavel Minchenko, in the Angara region there are not enough experienced hunters, and they are also limited in the choice of hunting tools: wolf hunters cannot use traps, snares and chemicals.

Tighten the loop

“The damage caused by the wolf in Russia, according to Tsentrokhotkontrol, amounts to 12 billion rubles. That is, it is the largest agricultural pest of large mammals,” Mikhail Krechmar, a zoologist, game warden and writer, editor of the Russian Hunting Journal, told TASS. He added that the wolf problem is most relevant for the northern and taiga regions of the Far East, where reindeer herding has been preserved on a significant scale.

“At the same time, in areas of intensive herd reindeer husbandry, it is difficult to effectively combat wolves by shooting. One of the best wolf herders in the country, Anton Bersenev, claims that the cost of hunting one wolf in European Russia, with all the necessary technical means (cars, snowmobiles) and a developed road network, is no less 1 thousand dollars. In the conditions of reindeer herding regions of the Far East, this cost must be increased at least three times, and in especially inaccessible areas - five times. I emphasize, this is when it comes to shooting," Kretschmar added.

According to the expert, regulation of wolf numbers using loops is widespread in Canada and Alaska. However, in Russia this method of fishing is prohibited and invariably causes criticism from environmentalists. Thus, in December 2016, at a press conference in TASS, the famous journalist and member of the Advisory Council of the International Fund for Animal Welfare Vladimir Pozner spoke out against the proposal of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation to allow snare fishing for wolves and jackals.

Posner called the loops a torture device that causes terrible pain to the animal. He also noted that if the number of an animal species is limited, it would be by shooting. Chairman of the Board of the International Fund for Animal Welfare Azzedine Downs is also confident that snare fishing will lead to catastrophic consequences, since other species of animals can get caught in a snare placed on a wolf, which can have a particularly negative impact on species listed in the Russian Red Book.

Kretschmar does not share this position. “During my studies in America, I myself took part in activities to control the wolf population using snare fishing. I must say that I did not observe any bycatch of additional species during these activities<…>In addition, I will say that wolf snare fishing in all places where it affects the number of farm animals has not stopped for a minute, despite its prohibition. In most places, people simply don’t know that it was banned,” the expert explained.

Wolves are distributed very unevenly within their range. Their distribution throughout the territory is determined by the abundance and stability of food supplies, primarily wild and domestic ungulates, and the possibilities of obtaining them, which in winter depend on the depth and looseness of the snow cover.

On Kola Peninsula in the second half of the last century, the wolf was very rare, which depended on the decrease in the number of wild reindeer and the reduction in herds of domestic reindeer among the Sami (Lapps). Wolves were relatively numerous at that time on the border with Sweden and Norway and in their eastern regions, where wild reindeer remained and domestic reindeer herding was in better condition. In the Lapland Nature Reserve in 1929-1938. There were none at all, and only later did they begin to disturb the herds of wild reindeer. In the winter of 1940/41, only 3 wolves lived in the reserve on an area of ​​1300 km².

In the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic they constantly live in the southern regions most populated by humans. In some years they are numerous in the Prionezhsky and Olonets regions and in Zaonezhye, in sparsely forested areas of the republic, especially along the coast White Sea. In the Segezhsky region, the wolf is rare, and in the deep-snow northern regions of the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Belomorsky, Kemsky and Loukhsky) it does not live permanently, appearing periodically, every 5-10 years. The appearance is associated with the movement of herds of domestic deer here or the arrival of wild ones.

In the tundra and forest-tundra of the European part of the USSR, wolves are relatively numerous; They make seasonal migrations, going to the tundra in the summer, and to the forest-tundra in the winter. In the Mezensky region, there are few wolves in summer and many in winter, since some migrants from the Kaninsky tundra approach the local sedentary ones. In the summer, only a few pairs remain, raising wolf cubs in the Koydinskaya tundra (Abramovsky shore of the Mezen Bay) and along the northern tributaries of the Nesya. Wolves are found on the Kanin Peninsula all year round. By the beginning of winter, most wolves migrate to the forest-tundra; part enters the Mezensky region, and the bulk winters in south coast Czech lips. Wolves from the Timan tundra also come here. In summer, in the vast expanse of the Czech Bay from the village of Nesi to Nizhnyaya Pesha, no more than 3-4 pairs of wolves remain (along the Vitas, Oma, and Snope rivers).

In the Timan and Malozemelskaya tundras, wolves burrow along the rivers Wolong, Travyanka, Shchuchya, Indiga, Belaya, Svetlaya, Kamennaya Viska, Velti, Neruta, Sula and its tributaries. In the Timan and Malozemelskaya tundras, wolves stick to the Timan ridge in the summer; in the coastal part they appear extremely rarely.

In the Bolshezemelskaya tundra, there are no wolves during the breeding season in the coastal strip about 100 km wide, where there are few suitable places for lairs, and in the summer herds of domestic reindeer graze with numerous dogs. Wolves burrow in pools upstream the Shapkina, Kuk, Lai and Kolva rivers (western part of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra), along the upper reaches of the Adzva, Bolshaya Rogovaya and Chernaya rivers ( central part) and along the Pai-Khoi ridge and the upper reaches of Korotayka, Silovaya and Kara ( East End). For the winter, most wolves migrate from the Bolshezemelskaya tundra to the forest-tundra, from the Pechora bend to the upper reaches of the Usa; part goes beyond the Urals.

In general, there are fewer wolves in the European tundra than in the Arkhangelsk taiga. In the Timan tundra, over an area of ​​10 thousand km², only 10 wolves were found, or 1 wolf per 1000 km². By autumn, with successful breeding, the population here would be 2.8 wolves per 1000 km².

In the taiga forests of the Arkhangelsk region, wolves are common in the southern and central regions- in swimming pools Northern Dvina and Onega. Along the valleys of these rivers, and sometimes the Pinega, single and groups of wolves run to the north. In the Priozerny region for 1947-1952. the number in autumn did not exceed 40-45 individuals (3 wolves per 1000 km²). In the Arkhangelsk region, the wolf prefers places where the taiga is sparse with clearings, forests are crossed by roads, and near villages there are large areas of fields, floodplains and forest reaps, since in winter it finds food only near humans. In other northern regions with developing agriculture The number of wolves is also increasing, and their habitat is expanding to the north.

Wolves are rare in the Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In the taiga they are found only in river valleys and lake depressions. More common in the agricultural landscape of the southern taiga subzone and in the tundra. Over 12.5 years (1939-1950), only 343 wolf skins were harvested in the Komi ASSR. The average annual harvest per 100 km² in the taiga ranges from 0 to 0.01 pieces; in areas with agricultural and other open land - from 0.01 to 0.06 pcs.

In the Urals, wolves are most numerous in the tundra, forest-steppe and steppes; Their distribution there is closely related to human settlements. In the remote taiga there are few or no wolves.

In the Yamalo-Nenets national In the area, the wolf is found almost everywhere, but dens mainly in the southern zone of the tundra, in the forest-tundra and near-tundra open forest. In winter it stays in close proximity to herds of domestic reindeer and is therefore very rare in arctic tundra. In the taiga it appears only occasionally in the Krasnoselkup region and in southern parts Purovsky, Nadymsky and Shuryshkarsky districts. Over the decade (1948-1957), 1,166 wolf skins were harvested in the district (from 85 to 157 per year).

IN Western Siberia The number of wolves is high in the southern tundra, forest-tundra, southern taiga, birch forest-steppe and steppe. The northern and middle parts of the taiga zone are characterized by a low number of wolves in the west (areas west of the lower and middle reaches of the Irtysh and lower reaches of the Ob). Wolves enter the area between the lower Irtysh and middle Ob rivers only in some years. So, in Surgut region in 20 years, only 2 wolves were killed; in Vasyugan, only 2 visits were recorded in 12 years. No one has observed wolves breeding in these areas.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the northeastern maximum of wolf numbers in Western Siberia occurs in the region with maximum depth snow cover, but it is characterized by dense snow cover and an abundance of wild and domestic reindeer. In the south, areas with a high population density of wolves coincide with places with a high population of roe deer, areas of developed livestock farming and uneven snow cover.

Along the Yenisei in the taiga zone, the wolf is rare everywhere until Turukhansk. In the forest-tundra (north of 76° N), the number of wolves increases noticeably. Places where wolves are concentrated in the tundra are confined to grazing areas of domestic reindeer herds or wild camps. Wolves are common at the mouth of the Yenisei; at times there are a lot of them in the lower reaches of Olenek, Yana and Lena. There are few wolves in central and southern Yakutia, but there are more of them in the Verkhoyansk Territory, and in Kolyma and Chukotka there are relatively many wolves. They are common in Anadyr. There is a wolf on the Lyakhovsky Islands, in the closest possible way Associated in the tundra with reindeer, it is found only in summer and migrates to the mainland in winter to follow reindeer herds.

In the taiga zone Central Siberia, in the Lower and Podkamennaya Tunguska basin, wolves are most numerous in the upper reaches of the Khatanga - Kotu I, Vilyuya, Moyero and the northern tributaries of the Lower Tunguska, where large herds of domestic deer graze. Along the Podkamennaya Tunguska, the lower reaches and southern tributaries of the Lower Tunguska, there are few wolves due to the deep and loose snow cover and the small number of domestic and wild ungulates. Wolves usually appear here only on a short time. This area of ​​low numbers and inconsistent habitat on the right bank of the Yenisei almost coincides with the same minimum number of wolves in Western Siberia (the interfluve of the Ob, Taz and Yenisei).

In the Leno-Khatanga region, wolves are common along the Olenek and along the Muna, a tributary of the Lena. In the Vilyui basin, the wolf is rare, and its numbers increase only beyond the Arctic Circle (according to Olenek). But in the Vilyuya Valley itself, wolves are relatively numerous. In central and southern Yakutia, as well as the Kolyma-Indigirsky region, the wolf is rare even in populated areas or occurs only sporadically, but is common in the tundra and forest-tundra.

In the taiga zone of Eastern Siberia, in the Sayan Mountains and Altai, there are few wolves due to deep snow. Predators appear here only in those areas where domestic or wild ungulates are abundant and where thinning or clearing of forests by humans has contributed to a decrease in the looseness and depth of the adjacent cover. In Altai and the Sayan Mountains, wolves are few in number and in most areas appear only by chance. In the mountains in the fall they follow the roe deer down into the valleys where the snow is lower and denser.

In Eastern Siberia, wolves are very abundant along the border with Mongolian Republic; in the southern Baikal region, near Irkutsk, they are common in areas along railway(Baikal region, Transbaikalia). Predators are rare or absent in the northern and few southern taiga deep-snow regions.

In the taiga of the Far East, the wolf is also rare in all deep-snow regions, especially those little developed by humans. In places where there is an abundance of wild or domestic ungulates, in areas where the taiga is largely thinned out by logging, wolves are common. In Primorye, predators are rare - along the Iman (Ussuri Territory) they are found mainly in the lower reaches.

In the central and southern zone of the European part of the USSR, including the Baltic states, wolves are rare. Their number increased during the war of 1941 - 1945, but as a result of intensified fighting, it has now been reduced again. In Belarus, the wolf is found everywhere. In 1932-1939. it was most numerous in the Minsk region, and then in the Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk regions.

In the central black earth regions, wolves were quite common until recently. Relatively high numbers in 1951-1953. noted in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions.

In the south of Bashkiria, on the outskirts of mountainous forest landscapes in the forest-steppe, there were few wolves in the 30s. Around 1950 they met quite often, but in the mountainous deciduous forests in winter there were few of them. The number of wolves here is sharply declining. In the Volga-Kama region, the number of wolves has been falling all the time from 1950 to 1965. In Tatarstan for the five years 1960-1964. On average, 170 wolf skins were harvested per year.

In Ukraine, wolves multiplied during the war of 1941-1945. In 1947-1949 their number throughout Ukraine reached approximately 7,000. Their population density was lower where the villages were densely located. After 1945, wolves were numerous in the southern part of the Sumy region (especially in more forested areas). In the Chernigov region, which is very favorable for the habitat of wolves, a large number of them remained all the time and in 1938 110 animals were killed here. After the war, especially many appeared in Chernigov Polesie, less in the forest-steppe and southern regions. In the Kyiv region, predators have become numerous in its northern, forested part. They were occasionally mined in areas bordering the Poltava and Chernigov regions; In the Kyiv region, wolves were recorded in a number of southern regions. In the Zhitomir region, wolves live only in the northern regions, along the borders with Belarus.

In the western regions of Ukraine, the number of wolves is generally small. It is higher in western Polesie, in the Rivne and Volyn regions. Many wolves in mountainous areas b. Stanislavsky region. In Transcarpathia and the Lviv region, the wolf is rare; does not live permanently in the Ternopil region, appearing periodically from the southern regions of the Rivne and northern regions of the Stanislav region. In the Lviv region, wolf litters were recorded only in the Kamensko-Bug, Sokal and Peremyshlya districts. In the Transcarpathian region, they are relatively common in all mountain and lowland areas (except for rocky places in the highlands). Stray wolves were encountered in Viiogradovsky, Uzhgorod, Perechi and Mukachevo regions. In the Drohobych region, wolves are common in mountainous areas; in 1949, broods were met in the Turkovsky and Podbuzsky districts, and strays - in the Strelkovsky and Dorogobyshsky districts.

In the Stanislav region, wolves constantly stay in the southern and southwestern mountainous regions, but also enter the plain. In the Chernivtsi region, wolves constantly stay in five south- western regions, bordering Romania, as well as in the Sakyr and Kalmenets regions, where wolves often come from Moldova.

In the Kamenets-Podolsk region, the northern regions are inhabited by wolves, but there are few animals here. In the Vinnytsia region, wolves were constantly observed only in two southern regions; they penetrate here from Moldova, where there are many wolves. IN Kirovograd region wolves are more or less constantly found in the Dnieper regions neighboring the Kyiv region. In the Poltava region, wolves live in the eastern regions (adjacent to the Sumy region), and in forest areas penetrate to the Mirgorod region; met closer to the Kyiv region).

In the Kharkov region, after the war, wolves multiplied most in the central regions, single broods were found in the Volchansky district, wolf races were noted in the Kupyansky district. In the Lugansk region, wolves were found in 34 districts; There are especially many wolves in the northeastern regions. In six of them, 150 wolves were killed in 1949. In the Donetsk region, wolves are rare and are recorded only in the south. In the Dnepropetrovsk region after the war, animals lived permanently only in the extreme eastern regions. In the Zaporozhye region, wolves live mainly in places near the Dnieper floodplains and occasionally appear in the Berdyansk and Azov regions.

In the Kherson region by 1948-1949. the Tsyurupinsky and Skadovsky districts were densely populated by wolves; on the right bank there were none at all; after 1948 they appeared in the Kherson, Berislav and Novovorontsov regions. In the Nikolaev region, wolves live permanently in the Shirokolanovsky district; strays appear in the western regions. In the Odessa region in the western regions, wolves are common. In 1949-1950 strays were also observed in the central regions. In the Izmail region, wolves live permanently in areas neighboring the Moldavian SSR. There are few wolves in the floodplains of the Dniester. In Crimea, wolves were exterminated, but in the years Patriotic War again penetrated the peninsula; they were soon destroyed.

In the Caucasus, the wolf is distributed everywhere, but not evenly. According to the harvesting data of skins, the largest number per unit area is mined in the Western Ciscaucasia and Eastern Transcaucasia. Per 1000 km2 in the 30s of our century, 11.6 wolves were hunted in Azerbaijan, 9.9 in Armenia, 6.7 in the North Caucasus, 6.7 in Dagestan and 0.8 wolves in Georgia. The lower reaches of the Terek, Sulak, Kuma, and the coast of the Kyzylagach Bay are the least densely populated by wolves. In the alder swamps of Colchis, the wolf is common in the lower reaches of the Gagida, Okum and Pichsra rivers. In the mountainous regions of the Caucasus, the number of wolves is high in the Caucasian, Borjomi, Zagatala and Lagodekhi reserves. In Transcaucasia, there are wolves everywhere, but in the wooded Black Sea coast they are so rare that most of the population have never seen them.

In Kazakhstan, the wolf is found almost everywhere. Its population is highest in the west, in some areas of the Aktobe and Kustanai regions, as well as in the valleys of the Syr Darya, Chu, Ili rivers, in the mountains and foothills of the Zailiysky and Dzungarian Alatau, near lake. Kurgaldzhii, in the Alakul basin, near the lake. Zaisan and in some other places. There are fewer wolves in the northern forest-steppe regions. However, in the former Kustanai district b. Turgai province. in the early 20s, wolf numbers were extremely high. In clayey deserts and semi-deserts, where there is no water, wild ungulates and livestock, these predators are absent or enter there only temporarily. There are no wolves in some mountain taiga regions of southern Altai, for example in the Zyryanovsky district, where snow cover tall and loose. Total wolves in Kazakhstan are estimated at approximately 25-30 thousand. Every year about 10 thousand wolves are destroyed in Kazakhstan, i.e. a little more than a third of the population.

In Kyrgyzstan, wolves are found everywhere. They are most numerous in the areas of large high-mountain pastures-syrts, since there is not only a lot of livestock here, but large settlements of marmots have been preserved, and in the neighboring ridges there are numerous wild ungulates (argali and goats). Every year in Kyrgyzstan before the Great Patriotic War, up to 400-600 wolf skins were harvested.

There are few wolves in Uzbekistan. In the Kashkadarya region they are rare; in desert areas, even in winter time are rare; numerous in mountainous areas.

In Turkmenistan, the distribution of wolves is limited by the availability of watering places and the abundance and availability of food. In Badkhyz (southern Turkmenistan) there are apparently more wolves than in other regions of Turkmenistan, which is explained by the abundance of wild and domestic ungulates. Radde and Walter also pointed out the special abundance of wolves between Tejen and Murgab. Along the river Kushka wolves often hunt near the very outskirts of villages. On the river There are more wolves in Egri Gek than in Kushka; Although there are no human settlements or livestock here, there are numerous gazelles that come to the river to drink, as well as plentiful watering holes and convenient places for lairs and daytime rest. In Gyaz-Gyadyk, wolves are common throughout the area. There are many wolves along the river. Tejen. In the desert part of Badkhyz, the wolf is everywhere, but is distributed unevenly, concentrating near wells, in places where flocks of sheep graze and near watering places, especially those located no closer than 100-200 m from housing (dugouts). Apparently, on average, 6-7 wolves are associated with one watering point. In winter, wolves are distributed evenly throughout Badkhyz, which is due to a lower need for drinking and wider grazing of sheep flocks. The number of wolves in western Turkmenistan is high, but they are unevenly distributed.

The total number of wolves in the USSR is difficult to determine even approximately, not only because of the lack of data, but also because of the continuous change in their numbers. In the 30s, their number in our country was estimated by a number of authors at 60-80 thousand, which is apparently underestimated. Around the same time, S.A. Buturlin estimated the wolf population at no less than 100,000 heads, and the annual offspring at 47 thousand. After the Patriotic War of 1941-1945. the number of wolves increased markedly, especially in areas affected by the German invasion. After the restoration of the destruction caused, as a result of intensifying the fight against the wolf and the use of a number of very effective means of exterminating it (shooting from an airplane, snowmobile, etc.), the number of wolves by the 60s decreased, apparently, by no less than 3-5 times , and in some places even more. In a number of areas they have disappeared completely. Several general patterns can be established.

Description of the species and area. A large animal with a fluffy tail (Fig. 57). Body length 1 -1.6 m, tail 35-50 cm. Coloring forest wolves gray, usually with a dark “saddle” on the back; Tundra wolves are almost white, and steppe wolves are reddish. It differs from dogs in having a wide muzzle with a convex forehead, usually with a lowered tail (only the leader of the pack keeps his tail raised). Wolf pups have a blunter muzzle than dog puppies, a black stripe along the back and yellowish fluffy fur on the head. Wolf tracks are large, elongated, the length of the print is 10-18 cm, the width is 5-10 cm. The two middle fingers are pushed forward, so that a match can be placed between their prints and the prints of the two outer fingers. Unlike dog tracks, tracks are usually located in a straight line rather than a broken line. The pack almost always follows the trail, so it is difficult to immediately determine how many wolves have passed.

The wolf is distributed throughout the country, except for some islands, but in middle lane and in the south of the European part of Russia it is very rare (Fig. 58). In areas with heavy snowy winters, it avoids continuous forests, penetrating into them along roads, hunting trails and river valleys.

It feeds on ungulates, rodents, and less often on all kinds of game from insects to bears sleeping in dens, garbage and carrion, and plant foods. Hunting techniques are very diverse: from hiding sleeping people to coastal ice seals to the organized drive of ungulates to ambush. In the northern regions, the main prey in winter is reindeer, in the forest zone - elk and wild boar; in agricultural areas, wolves often kill livestock and recklessly chase dogs. It is interesting that when new types of prey appear, the wolf sometimes hesitates for a long time to touch it. Thus, when the wild boar settled in the Western Sayan Mountains, the wolf did not kill this unfamiliar animal for 7 years, and some wild boars even learned to follow packs of wolves in winter, picking up the remains of prey. A very strong, agile animal, it runs up to 25-40 km per day, and can carry a sheep to its lair, throwing it on its back. Once in a herd of sheep or camels, wolves often kill more than they can carry, although when hunting wild ungulates they rarely have this opportunity. Winter packs usually number 5-12 animals, but occasionally in places with an abundance of game up to 40 wolves gather.

In many areas, the wolf causes damage to livestock production and is subject to partial shooting. But the complete destruction of wolves is extremely undesirable. In the central and southern regions of the country, this led to the appearance of a large number of stray dogs, and in some places also wolf-dog hybrids, which cause much more damage and are sometimes dangerous to humans. In the absence of a wolf, ungulates, deprived of “sanitary control,” are susceptible to various diseases and often reproduce excessively (like elk and wild boars in the Moscow region). Wolves quickly remove sick and wounded ungulates, while a healthy adult elk or wild boar is able to fight off even a large flock, and wolves can only drive away a healthy deer deep snow or when it gets cold. In addition, wolves now kill about 200 times less livestock than in the 19th century, since in winter livestock are usually kept on large farms inaccessible to wolves.

During the period of feeding wolf cubs or, more often, in the case of rabies, wolves occasionally attack people. During the post-war period, only a few dozen similar cases were noted. Healthy animals are very careful and pose virtually no real danger. Over the same period, over one hundred thousand people suffered from dog bites in Russia. It is curious that in Soviet time official figures for damage from wolves in collective farm herds were 10-30 times higher than in private ones.

The skin of wolves, especially tundra and Siberian taiga, is a valuable fur raw material. However, in places where wolves have long been persecuted (for example, in the European part of Russia), they have become so cunning and cautious that it is not easy for even a professional wolf hunter to catch the animal.

The wolf is one of the most popular characters in the folklore of all the peoples of Russia, and among nomads and people who live by hunting and fishing, as well as among mountain peoples, the wolf usually personifies intelligence and nobility, and among settled farmers and cattle breeders - evil and aggressiveness. Wolf Pack in the minds of many peoples it serves as a symbol of the fighting squad, and the beast itself is a symbol of the god of war. In addition, for thousands of years, many peoples of the world have believed that a person who has committed a crime or is bitten by a wolf can turn into a werewolf (among the ancient Slavs such a werewolf was called a werewolf). The peoples of the North, whose reindeer herds carry big damage from wolves, they still treat this beast without the prejudice characteristic of the Slavs and other inhabitants of Europe. Northerners have long known about the role of the wolf in nature. For example, according to the myths of the Lapland Sami, reindeer were created by the goddess of pastures, Raziaike. But the deer multiplied excessively, destroyed all the moss and began to get sick and die of hunger. Then, in order to save the tundra and the Sami, the god of justice Kavri created wolves. Outside Russia and the countries of Central Asia, the wolf is rare everywhere and is protected.

Population dynamics. The minimum number of wolves in the last two decades occurred in 1990, after which the number began to increase rapidly, reaching a maximum (in Russia as a whole) in 1995-1996 (Fig. 59).
In subsequent years, the wolf population in Russia as a whole remained at a high level. At the same time, in a number of economic regions of the European part of Russia in the late 1990s, a decrease in the number of wolves was observed ( table 15 ).

Table 15. Number of wolves (thousand heads)

IN Northern economic region The number of wolves in the last decade began to decline noticeably since 1986, falling to 2-2.5 thousand in the late 1980s. Then control over the wolf population was largely lost and its number exceeded 4 thousand in 1995-1996. After this, against the background of a deteriorating food supply and with a newly increased annual production, close to the level of the second half of the 1980s, the wolf population again turned out to be minimal for the 1980s-1990s.

In the North-Western economic region , with a similar pattern of changes in wolf numbers in the 1980s, its numbers increased sharply in the first half of the 1990s, reaching a peak in 1994-1995. IN last years, with the level of prey noticeably higher than in the late 1980s, the wolf population has again halved.

IN Central economic region after a decrease in the number of wolves in the 1980s to a minimum number of 1.3 thousand in 1990 (the level of production, accordingly, decreased from 2 to 0.8 thousand), the maximum number was observed in 1993-1996, after which the level of registered production exceeded 1.3 thousand heads, the wolf population began to decline.

IN Volga-Vyatka economic region peaks of abundance similar in value were observed in 1986 and 1996. The main wolf population is concentrated in the Kirov region. The current number is not much different from the depression of 1990 (0.8 thousand animals).

Fluctuations in wolf numbers are smoother in Central Black Earth economic region , which, except for the Voronezh region, is characterized by a low wolf population density. In the Voronezh region, including due to the relatively high share protected areas, the best defensive and feeding conditions than in other areas of this economic region. The production of wolves in the entire economic region is equal to or even exceeds the sum of the increase in its population and the possible penetration of wolves from areas where the wolf population is higher.

The situation in Volga economic region sharply contrasting: in the northern regions and Tatarstan the wolf population density is low, but in the steppe regions there are many of them. In the 1980s, there were few wolves in Kalmykia, however, currently this Republic is characterized by high numbers, as well as other southern regions of the region.

The level of production here is not yet sufficient to not only compensate for the “local” reproduction of wolves and their influx from Kazakhstan in the regions bordering it, but also to reduce the number of these predators to a tolerable level.

The high number of wolves continues in North Caucasus economic region , which, in addition to the steppe regions, includes republics and Krasnodar region, where there are many mountain habitats and protected areas.

The number of wolves remains consistently high in Ural economic region. A third of this number are wolves living in Republic of Bashkortostan, where wolf prey is currently such that it cannot even compensate for the annual increase. In the 1980s, when the volume of annual wolf production in Bashkiria was close to the values ​​of the spring population, it was possible to reduce its number by almost half, to 0.5 thousand wolves in 1990. Currently, it is again very high. A noticeable increase in the number of wolves in the Orenburg region can be explained by its influx from Kazakhstan. A slight reduction in the number of wolves in the economic region occurred due to Sverdlovsk and, especially, Perm regions, where intensive regulation of the wolf population is carried out. In the Kurgan region, this predator does not get out of control during the entire period under review. IN Udmurt Republic, in more complex natural conditions, control was restored in the last 3 years; in 1999, the wolf population was at its lowest level over the past 20 years. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the activities of the regional hunting department in inventorying wolf families and the “infrastructure” of the wolf population.

IN West Siberian economic region The wolf population is still high, it remains at the level that was observed in the 1st half of the 1980s and since the mid-1990s, but the peak of the population may have already been passed in 1998.

IN East Siberian and Far Eastern economic regions There was a decrease in numbers at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, an increase in numbers in the early 1990s, and stabilization at a fairly high level at the present time. The trend towards reduction in numbers is more often observed where control over the wolf population is better established - in the Republic of Buryatia, Amur region and Khabarovsk Territory.

The distribution by region depending on the type of population dynamics is presented in Figure 60.

This map diagram shows regions with different types of wolf population dynamics (Fig. 60a) and cannot be considered as a map diagram reflecting the distribution of the species. Russia is characterized by 3 types of wolf population dynamics. In regions with high numbers (type 2), natural fluctuations are characteristic with a periodicity of apparently 5–7 years. For regions (southern taiga and forest-steppe) with low wolf numbers (type 1), a slight increase in numbers is observed. Regions with average wolf numbers are characterized by a negative trend.