Wolf damage in Subcarpathia in 2023

A summary of damage caused by wolves and incidents involving them in the Subcarpathian region in 2023.

In 2023, wolves caused 175 damages to livestock and domestic animals and destroyed other property.

This is a 13.6% increase over 2022, when there were 154 attacks, and a 17% increase over 2021 (149 attacks).

Among domestic and livestock species, sheep (85) were the most frequently attacked by wolves, followed by cattle (32), horses (12), dogs (19), goats (15) and fallow deer and farm deer (9). In addition, property in the form of fences was damaged during these attacks.

The estimated damage to dogs included only purebred dogs (with pedigrees or tags, from legal breeding facilities). In the case of non-breed dogs, owners were only reimbursed for the cost of medical treatment or disposal of carcasses.

In addition to damage to livestock, various other incidents involving wolves were reported by residents, which included, for example, the appearance of predators near human homes. In 2023, the Regional Director for Environmental Protection in Rzeszów reported fewer incidents than in the previous year. This is probably due to the fact that currently the municipalities where incidents were more frequent maintain a register of conflict incidents involving large predators (coordinated by the Bieszczadziki Foundation with substantive support from the Agricultural University in Kraków and the RDOŚ in Rzeszów). Safety in the municipality is the responsibility of the mayor/president, who, based on the registers, identify problems and take appropriate action.

Author: Hubert Fedyń (RDOŚ Rzeszów)