Geralt of the Hog Lake (Wieprzowe Jezioro)
Geralt of the Hog Lake (Wieprzowe Jezioro)
Will the wolf from Świętokrzyskie settle in Roztocze?
After a renewed stay in Ukraine, the wolf Geralt has returned to the Tomaszów Lubelski area. His locations over the past few days indicate that he has taken a break in his eastward migration. He is penetrating the surrounding forests and hunting in the vicinity of a village with the original name of Wieprzowe Jezioro (Hog Lake). It is near the place where the sources of the Wieprz River flow out.
Most likely, it will soon become clear whether Wieprzowe Jezioro is just a temporary stop or the definitive end of the wolf’s migration from the Świętokrzyska Forest. We know that there are a lot of wolves in the Roztocze, and the strong wolf Geralt should be an attractive partner for the wolves there. What we’re not sure of, however, is whether there is still room for a new wolf family in the area.
* Geralt is an approximately 3-year-old wolf in migration (dispersal), wearing a GPS collar indicating his location to us.
Author: Roman Gula
Gagat wolf blocked by A4 freeway
Gagat wolf blocked by A4 freeway
After crossing the A1 highway, Gagat the wolf continued in a southwesterly direction.
After a few days, it reached the A4 highway, between Oława and Opole. Unfortunately, the A4 is an old highway with few animal crossings.
Gagat searched for two weeks for a crossing by wandering along the highway. He penetrated more than 90 kilometers of this road, from Wrocław to Gogolin. He even wandered as far as Wrocław itself – only turning back when he entered the Wysoka estate.
You often ask us if it is normal for wolves to appear on the outskirts of cities. Gagat’s behavior shows that it is – wolves during dispersal appear in places where you would hardly expect them.
In the section where Gagat seeks passage across the A4, there are few forests, and thus few places where he could rest and hunt something. So far, Gagat has been using small forest complexes near Dąbrowa and Lewin Brzeski for rest. It will be interesting to see if he manages to cross the A4, or if he will rather change the direction of his wanderings.
*Gagat is an approximately 2.5-year-old wolf in the process of dispersal, who is looking for a place to start his own family. He wears a GPS collar so we can track his steps.
Author: Roman Gula
Photo: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad [GDDKiA]
About wolves at school in Szerzawy
About wolves at school in Szerzawy
On Wednesday, November 23, we had the pleasure of visiting an elementary school in Szerzawy.
A few days earlier, we received information that several wolves had passed near the school. Since the appearance of wolf visitors caused a stir among students and teachers, we were invited to lead a meeting about these unusual animals.
So we told about 90 kids from the youngest grades about wolves and our encounters with them. We explained the issues of whether one should be afraid of wolves and what to do if one encounters them.
The children showed great interest and involvement, and the final joint choral howling caused a lot of positive emotions!
Thank you for the invitation and for providing us with photos from the meeting. The meeting was hosted by Jacek Major.
A lesson on wolves at the Rej School in Kielce
A lesson on wolves at the Rej School in Kielce
On November 22, Roman Gula, head of our wolf project, conducted two lessons on wolves and ecology at the Mikołaj Rej Community School Complex in Kielce.
The first lesson began just before 9:00 am. The kids listened with curiosity as Dr. Roman Gula talked about one of Poland’s largest predators. Interesting photos and recordings of “our” wolves made the wolf lesson even more enjoyable.
Among the issues raised were the most important ones: Are wolves needed? What does a wolf family look like? Is there much truth in the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood? Children were able to learn that wolves should not be feared, or what to do if one of these beautiful creatures crosses their path.
As part of our Foundation’s educational activities, we are happy to organize meetings about wolves, ecology and the protection of Polish nature. If you are interested in a lesson, please feel free to contact us!
Author: Joanna
Photos: teachers from the school
Geralt in America
Geralt in America
For the last 2 weeks, when we wrote nothing about him, the wolf Geralt was definitely not idle. He continued to follow his instincts, explored new neighborhoods, and eventually made his way to…. America!
After returning to Poland from a trip to Ukraine, Geralt returned to the trail he had previously followed eastward. He then headed north, towards Hrubieszów, to stop in one of the small forest complexes near the village of America. After this brief stop, he again crossed, or actually swam across, the border with Ukraine – in this region the Polish-Ukrainian border is marked by the Bug River, visible in the photo.
This time Geralt stayed in Ukraine for only a dozen hours, not going beyond the valley of the heavily meandering Bug River in this section. He returned to the Polish side to a previously visited forest complex near America and stayed there. The locations suggest that he managed to hunt something there.
Will he cross the border again after a short rest? Or will he stay there for a longer time and finally find a life companion?
Author: Roman Gula
Meeting for children in the "Zameczek"
Meeting for children in the "Zameczek"
On November 18, we held a meeting about wolves at the “Zameczek” (“Castle”) community center in Kielce.
On the occasion of the final of the children’s art contest “Dogs, kittens and other animals”, organized by the Kielce community center, we were invited to tell the kids about wolves and other forest animals.
During the short meeting, we introduced the children and their parents to the wolf family. We explained that wolves do not need to be feared, and that they are more afraid of us than we are of them. We explained many issues concerning the wolves and showed how our research on them is going.
The meeting was held by the head of our wolf project – Dr. Roman Gula.
Photo: “Zameczek” community center
A lesson on wolves at a school in Kielce
A lesson on wolves at a school in Kielce
Last Friday, 18.11. we visited Kielce Elementary School No. 1.
We conducted two lessons for grades 3-4, during which we talked about wolf ecology and the research we are conducting as part of our wolf project. We presented various photos and footage from our photo traps and tried to dispel any doubts related to wolves, such as should they be feared?
The meeting was hosted by Roman Gula and Jacek Major.
Thank you for the invitation!
Gagat crossed the A1 highway
Gagat crossed the A1 highway
After several days of trekking from his native Świętokrzyska Forest, Gagat reached the A1 highway.
The A1 highway, also known as the Amber Highway, connects northern and southern Poland. It is Poland’s only meridian highway, crossing the ecological corridors of all animals migrating through our country in east-west directions.
The highways and expressways are fenced off, so Gagat had to seek safe passage to the other side. Since the area where he reached the A1 route didn’t happen to have an animal crossing, he headed north in search of one. The search took him a little more than one day, but he finally found the upper crossing in the forests north of Częstochowa.
After crossing the highway, he returned to his previously chosen direction and is now moving further west, toward Namysłów.
Photo source: GDDKiA
Author: Roman Gula
Growing up wolf pups from the Daleszyce Forests
Growing up wolf pups from the Daleszyce Forests
Summer and autumn of the wolf family from Daleszyce.
Between July and October, we repeatedly recorded a wolf family from the Daleszyckie Forests with photo traps. The family consists of at least 12 individuals – a breeding pair, at least 2 other adults (probably offspring from the previous year), and 8 pups. Despite significant size differences, all of the pups visible in the recordings looked very vital.
The peak of the family’s activity was during the night hours, but the wolves were also active in the morning and evening. Puppies were the most frequently recorded (1 to 8), and the largest recorded group included 10 individuals (8 puppies and 2 adults). The large number, well-fed and energetic pups, indicates that throughout the summer and autumn the adult wolves were effectively hunting, presumably for ungulates that were abundant in the area.
The recordings show the pups playing together, resting, begging for food and the adults returning food. You can also hear from several types of voices with which the wolves communicated among themselves (growling, barking, whimpering and squealing). Attention is drawn to the upright posture, upturned tails and physical superiority during play of some pups.
We also recorded interesting interactions of wolves with other animals. In September, three wolves (one adult and two pups) were walking through a beaver dam at night. Being in the middle of the dam, they were frightened by a beaver with a splash of its tail. The adult wolf went on, to the other side of the beaver spillway, and the two puppies retreated. After controlling their emotions, one of the pups joined the adult wolf, while the other did not make another attempt to cross the dam.
The next recorded interaction took place in early October. At that time, five outgrown, 5-month-old pups spotted a stately male elk walking along the edge of an alder and immediately moved toward it. The predators disappeared from sight for a moment into the dense thickets, and a moment later ran out of them in panic. The moose efficiently chased the whole bunch away and showed the young wolves that he was no playmate for them.
- We also managed to record a wolf family the year before – “Wolf Family of the Daleszyckie Forest“.
- And in 2017, we recorded the adolescence of even younger pups from the Lower Silesian Forests – “Walnut Wolf and her family“.
Author: Tomasz Bracik
Gagat set out into the world
Gagat set out into the world
Over the past few weeks, Gagat has been wandering in the forests adjacent to the Świętokrzyska Forest, where he was born 2 years earlier.
The young wolf frequented the Kolomańskie Hills, the Niekłańskie Forest and a complex on the northern outskirts of Kielce. Three days ago, he made the decision (like Geralt) to finally leave his hometown. However, he chose the opposite direction to Geralt, who wandered to Ukraine, and decided to look for a partner and a place to set up home in the west.
The route of his several-day trek turned out to be quite similar to that of the wolf Scyzor, who unfortunately lost track of when he reached the Częstochowa area in November 2021 (more: “Scyzor is lost“).
Gagat had already crossed the Central Railway Line – the railroad line on which Pendolino trains run from Warsaw to Krakow and Silesia. He has crossed the Pilica River without any problem and is now heading towards Częstochowa. We will keep you posted on the further course of his journey.
Author: Roman Gula