Wolf down Slovakia
By Clive Tully
It’s late afternoon and, after several hours of strenuous bush-whacking along steep slopes through dense forest, an excited shout comes from the front of the group. “Wolf scat!”
Once upon a time, “scat” might have been an invitation to depart in a hurry. But its alternative, another four-letter word beginning and ending with the same letters, is a better description.
Just in case you’re in any doubt, what we’re talking here is wolf poo, or droppings. I’m in the Nizke Tatry National Park in the Tatra mountains of Slovakia, taking part in a wildlife volunteer trip run by Biosphere Expeditions.
The purpose is to help local scientist Dr Slavomir Findu – Slavo, for short – study wild animals of this wild corner of eastern Europe. And so it is that we photograph the wolf poo with a compass lying next to it to provide scale, log its location using a GPS receiver, and bag it up to take back to base for Slavo to analyse. It joins several other bags of poo, including bear and a possible lynx.
Today is something of a warm-up, getting used to recognising the tracks of wild animals, using two-way radios and GPS receivers and trying to remember how to navigate using a map and compass. Wolf, bear and lynx live in the forest-covered mountain slopes, but above the tree-line is what we’ve all really come for – the chance to spot the endangered chamois, a type of mountain goat.
Up to now, the closest I’ve been to a chamois was when drying off the car after it’s been washed. In some parts of Europe they’re quite plentiful, but here their numbers are declining – partly due to climate change.
But predators such as wolves (and people) also have an impact, and our study will determine who much damage is being done and help find solutions. Slavo says volunteers are every bit as good as scientists in making these observations. You don’t have to be experts – just keen on helping and interested in wildlife.
Our group had a broad age mix. There was Lauren in her early 20s, studying for an animal-science degree, so what we’re doing ties in rather nicely. Pierre from Belgium was 30ish and wanting an escape from his job as a business consultant.
The oldest member of the group was John, whose past hiking hazards included wandering into a minefield in Israel while walking on the Golan Heights. The greatest risk in Slovakia is coming to a sticky end at the hands of the country’s lunatic drivers. But the wildlife can also be a problem, advises trek leader Melanie Schroder.
Slovakia has the highest density of bears on the planet, and there have been seven attacks on humans by brown bears in a single year.
So if we suddenly find ourselves face-to-face with a bear, we’re told to keep still, then slowly and gradually back off, avoiding the natural instinct to run like hell. “Bears can run much faster,” we’re told. “And they can climb trees. If it comes to it, lie face down, hands over the back of your head and neck, and elbows out to prevent the bear from rolling you over.”
Even, so, the chances of coming to grief on a wildlife trip in the Tatra Mountains are lower than indulging in a spot of DIY at home, promises Melanie. At night, I like awake in my tent outside the main house listening to the sounds from the forest. A branch breaks… is it a b..b..bear? It matters not one jot that I’ve been reassured no bear has ever come this far down into the valley. After several glasses of the local beer (why not, at 70p a pint?) my imagination is working overtime – and my only thought is to roll over, elbows spread wide to wait for the bear about to slice through my sleeping bag.
I survive the night ready for the next day, which involves basic training. We have our maps and GPS receivers to plot our positions, and we also have compasses – used to provide a bearing for any animal sightings.
We have laser rangefinders to give us distance, and radios to communicate with each other. And when things are going less than swimmingly, we have flares to indicate we have a problem – red for life-threatening, and white for non-critical emergencies.
Our first little foray into the forest with Slavo reveals a “bear tree”. This is where the bear has ripped the bark off the trunk to get at insects. The bear hair stuck to the oozing sap provides the confirmation.
Getting to and from the study areas isn’t all slogging up and down hill on foot. Biosphere Expeditions is sponsored by Land Rover under their Fragile Earth Policy, so we have a couple of 4WDs to get us about. Volunteers spend a couple of nights in mountain huts… rising before dawn to catch sight of the chamois.
On one of these mornings part of our group led by Melanie caught sight of eight chamois resting on cliffs, and two red deer heading for a stream to drink. Then they saw a female bear and her cub ambling up to the same stream.
I’m just here to follow them for a weekend and my wildlife encounters were limited to a small snake and a few piles of poo – sorry, scat. But I’ve come away with the firm view that if you want to do something for conservation, this is far better than writing a cheque to a charity.
This way you provide scientists with the manpower to help them protect the amazing wildlife of Slovakia – and have an unforgettable experience at the same time.
What’s the deal?
BIOSPHERE Expeditions run one week and longer volunteer holidays in Slovakia and worldwide along with short taster sessions in the UK. All ages are welcome (the oldest volunteer on these trips was 87). Prices in the UK start from £195 full board but you get £100 back if you book a longer holiday. Go to www.biosphere-expeditions. org or call 0870 446 0801.