Possibilities of the improvement of the annual wolf number assessment in Lithuania

Abstract

The annual wolf number assessment by tracks in snow (minimum population count) has been held since 2006. The result of this is the official number of the wolves living in the territory of Lithuania. However this number provokes a lot of discussions and doubts because of accuracy and reliability. The hunters give the number of wolves recorded in every hunting unit each year too. However this information could be significantly comprehensive, and worth to process it by GIS technologies. But now the number of wolves, recorded in each hunting unit, is only summed. Instead of supplement or support, the results of these two records significantly differ every year. Evaluating wolf number in Lithuania every year, it would be worth to invoke other data and methods too, as sources of additional information. It is suggested to evaluate the number of wolves by set of methods, i.e., use several methods, which complement each other. The aim of this work is to offer the possibilities of improvement of the annual wolf number assessment in Lithuania.