Bartek, the wolf that we caught and provided with a telemetry collar at the end of November last year, settled in the Niekłańsko-Bliżyńskie forests. For some time, Bartek’s tracks have been accompanied by the tracks of another wolf. This morning we set off once again to check if Bartek has any company – as we suspected, the company of a she-wolf. The last bearings from the GPS receiver installed in Bartek’s collar were from yesterday (February 13) at 2 pm. Just in case, we took the antenna and radio receiver to be able to track Bartek. Unfortunately, snow fell during the night, which made it difficult to find fresh tracks. We did not manage to hear Bartek’s radio signal; supposedly he has moved to another place in his territory. Trufla, my dog, helped us. She found yesterday’s buried tracks and the urine marking site. Those were the traces and marking of two wolves! The sensitive nose of 18-year-old Trufla also sensed something else. Blood, left by – now we were sure – Bartek’s partner. Therefore, it turned out that Bartek, after leaving his family in the Świętokrzyska Forest and penetrating the area of about 1000 km2, found a fiancée. Moreover, the blood indicates that the she-wolf is in heat. So there is a chance that Bartek and his fiancée will have offspring!

Text: Roman Gula, Photo reportage: Jacek Major