Nadia Ivanof

Beginning with August, after we established the working teams and their responsibilities for achieving the project goals, the activities for wolves inventory were carried out in the mountainous area of the Vrancea County. The inventory was developed based on: tracks count, scats count, signs count, identification of wolves packs by howling. The information was included in the standard data forms and the database. This activity offers scientific data for the local action plan for wolf conservation and information about the areas where conflicts between local people and wolves are possible to appear.

Between August and October 2004 activities for estimation of the depredation level were carried out. A Standard Data Form was established in order to question the people about every event that was investigated. The information on livestock depredation events were obtained from the EPA Vrancea and a team composed of EPA members and Association for Biodiversity Conservation members investigates them.

In order to change the negative image that wolf has into the eyes of Vrancea inhabitants, we designed and printed in December a leaflet entitled "Wolf - Myth and reality" that informs about the species in Vrancea County, how to act in an area populated by wolves, what measures can be implemented for reducing the conflicts between man and wolves, some physical characteristics of this species, how to identify wolves tracks. An important space has been granted for the subject Wolf vs. Man where the evolution or, moreover, the involution of wolf image in the history of mankind is presented, and also some misconceptions about this species. The leaflets will be distributed mainly in schools and will be correlated with school presentations having the same theme.

The draft version of the wolf conservation plan has been also realised, which will be adapted to the local characteristics. The wolf conservation draft plan was discussed with local actors in October 21st, 2004, at a meeting organised by EPA Vrancea.

In November 2004 a member of our team attended the Conference Carnivore 2004 - expanding the partnerships in carnivore conservation, in Santa Fe, USA. A presentation about this Rufford Small Grant Project was presented at this conference.

In November Nadia received a second RSG to develop her work 'The wolves and local communities in Vrancea County'. Picture shows Nadia mapping the wolf tracks.

Having in view the fact that the mainly source of conflicts which causes a high mortality in the wolf population it represents the livestock growth, and at least 10 wolves are poached annually in mountainous part of Vrancea, between 2005 – 2006 through a Rufford grant it will bee implement the project “Wolves and local communities in Vrancea County”, the aim being the conservation of wolves packs in Vrancea County through implementing anti poaching activities, promoting the electrical fences as effective protection system for sheepfold defense and improvement of wolves negative image. Developing the management plan for wolf conservation together with stakeholders and county environmental authorities represents a major objective in this project.

The project will be implemented in the western part of Vrancea Couny, being integrated in the policy of local authorities to ensure the protection of the species of communitarian interest and has the support of EPA Vrancea, especially for the management plan component. The magior activities planned within the project are:

1. Initiating anti-poaching activities

An information campaign about the situation of attacks on sheepfolds and about how electrical fences operate (meetings with shepherds in 6 communes in Vrancea: Nereju, Soveja, Campuri, Vizantea,Tulnici, Vidra)

Elaboration of leaflet “Electrical fences – efficient method to defend the livestock” and of poster “Poaching – illegal activity”, that will be distributed to locals and shown in the communities’ visible places. The leaflet will include details on electrical fences, installing, producers and good practice examples

Field investigation of poaching cases – especially of reasons that caused them. The documentation will be handed to EPA.

2. Establishing a management plan for wolves protection

The action plan elaborated in the previous project will be detailed, defining clear actions, responsible institutions and deadlines. The plan will be elaborated together with EPA, who will include it in official papers

3. Involving the local communities in the protection actions

A web page will be made dedicated to wolf protection in Vrancea, a contest of essays for pupils on: My forest – wolf’s home, meetings in schools and trips with pupils from 6 villages. The children will ensure the future of wolf protection and transmit the conservation message to their relatives.

In the frame of the project “The wolves and local communities in Vrancea County” it has been conceived and achieved a leaflet which promote the use of electrical fences for sheepfolds and also in order to reduce the wolfs poaching phenomena, it has been conceived a poster entitled “Poaching – illegal activity”. These materials were disseminated in the city halls from mountain area where it has been registered poaching cases and also at the meetings with inhabitants. Through informative campaign about electrical fences function, in this spring there were achieved meetings with sheepards from Soveja, Campuri and Vizantea localities.

Beginning with February 2006, in order to establish the management plan for wolfs protection in Vrancea, a team formed by members of ACDB and EPA work on detailing the action plan with Forestry Department Focsani institution.

After some field trips for tracing out the cases of poaching wolfs, we has investigated 2 cases in Nereju and Vizantea.

For achieve the web page dedicated to wolf protection in Vrancea, it has been conceived the structure of the page. At this moment the web page is in work.

Read about the activities undertaken and findings of this project in the final report below.

One of the activities achieved in the project “The wolves and local communities in Vrancea County” was elaboration of the leaflet named „Electric Fences – efficient method to defend the livestock” and the poster entitled “Poaching – illegal activity”. The leaflet was realised with the aim: to inform the people about the performances and efficiency of the electric fence systems, installation, and how-to-use procedures. It is structured as following: how to use the electrical system; components; assembling; advices; advantages; maintenance; the sheepfolds distribution throughout Vrancea County (map); a statistical report on the wolves attacks over sheepfolds from the Vrancea County mountainous area. The poster has an informative part about wolf poaching situation, accompanied by a warning message.

In order to explain the shepherds in what way work an electrical fence and which are its benefits, we organized this spring 3 meetings with shepherds from Vizantea, Campuri and Soveja localities where there were presented the following aspects: electrical fences – what it means?; what are the components of an electrical system?; are the electrical fences dangerous for livestock and humans?; is it cheap or expensive?

Having in view necessity to establish some conservation and protection actions of wolves populations from Vrancea area, beginning with February 2006 we started the elaboration of the action plan, the objectives focusing on the elimination of the negative consequences of the following risk factors: quality alteration of the habitats populated with large carnivores; conflicts between local inhabitants and wolf population; tourism and the development of the tourist infrastructure; domestic wastes management; transport infrastructure development and the epidemiological risk. For these risk factors, actions related to the negative effects elimination/reduction is foreseen, actions based on the legal framework.

The plan was structured following the action plans established at the communitarian level for wolf and management plan for wolf populations in USA. The web page dedicated to wolf protection in Vrancea has the following structure: wolves in Vrancea ( what is the situation of volves from Vrancea County?; what characteristics presents the wolves from mountain part of Vrancea?; why are the wolves important?), Conflicts reduction (from which couse has appeard the conflict between
people and wolves?; what can we do to minimise the conflict people-wolf?), Threats (which are the factors who threat the wolf populations surviving?), Educational materials,Contact.