Distribution of grey wolf (Canis lupus L., 1758) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The wolf (Canis lupus L., 1758) is a terrestrial mammal species that is in the past inhabited the entire European continent. The wolf has a different conseravtion status in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Republic of Srpska it is unprotected species, while in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina it has the status of a closed season protected species. Launch of systematic ecological research of this predatory species on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the imperatives. For analysis of distribution 1013 individual findings were collected on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 737 were hunted individuals and 276 predation on domestic animals. The distribution and relative density of wolves in Bosni and Herzegovina is shown in UTM (MGRS) grid with the size of the square of 10x10 km. Wolves were registered in 196 squares of UTM grid (19 600 km²). The highest density of wolf population is regstered on the northern parts of the Dinarides. Collected data indicate that the species is widely distributed, mainly in hills and mountainous areas. Wolf’s areal includes a wooded areas in hills and mountainous areas (central and eastern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina – 71.43%; southern Mediterranean – 16.33% and the western part – 7.65%), while only sporadic encounters (4.59%) in lowland parts of Posavina (northern Bosnia and Herzegovina) and in the mountains areas in the zone above the forest limit.