pack

Following our article on poaching, this scourge that is very present in Switzerland (but well hidden) and everywhere in Europe, we share with you the story of Frost & Thirteen (Mròz & Trzynastka), two Polish wolves. It relates poaching through a snare trap but above all the very powerful bond between wolves in a pack. This mutual assistance and support, as well as the stress and confusion, deserve to be explained in order to show how much wolves care for their fellow wolves in situations of injury or illness. We thank the Association “Stowarzyszenie dla Natury ‘Wilk’ for sharing this story.

After two phases of proactive regulation in Switzerland, we can already see certain problems emerging, which would require changes, adaptations or consideration. Indeed, the wolf management, an animal that lives in packs (family groupings) and whose activities and movements mainly take place at night, requires knowledge and the implementation of strict methods! It is vital to avoid, as far as possible, mistakes and creating imbalances in unrelated packs. The removal of members of breeding pairs when the cubs are still in the learning phase can represent a real danger, both for the survival of the cubs and for the consequences on the attacks on livestock. The risks are therefore high, both for the wolf and for the farmers. Today, we are therefore addressing the issue of training anyone authorized to shoot wolves during the control phases, which is just one aspect among many of the changes that will need to be made in the future.

In Valais, a team made up of a biologist, the French-speaking director of the Groupe Loup Suisse and trained volunteers have been following “Arsene's pack” for the past two years. Their goal is to rehabilitate the wolf for the general public. La Salamandre” magazine followed us for a day in the field in June 2024. We'd like to thank them for their interest in our project, as well as in the wolf and the Arsene's pack.

Since the introduction of proactive regulation and on the eve of the wolf's probable downgrading by the Bern Convention, it is vital to mention the causes of wolf mortality in Switzerland and Europe. Some of these are easily quantifiable, notably legal shooting and human-caused accidents (road and rail traffic), which are the two most important. But one unknown factor remains: the number of wolves poached, of which we know nothing most of the time. How is poaching carried out? What methods are used? How important will these cases be in assessing the number of wolves that can be harvested? How can we protect the wolf from a possible decline in numbers if “official” regulation is relaxed? Let's take a look at this thorny but vital issue for the future of the wolf.

Every wildlife photographer knows that every picture has its own story. Effort, expectation, surprise, failure, despair, joy, emotion - these are the ingredients that make up, in addition to the scenery or subject, every wildlife photo. Nature offers its intimacy sparingly, and only when it decides to do so. It is more often the wildlife that decides than the photographer, despite all his investment, patience, perseverance and passion. You're about to discover a fantastic, rare story that now sounds like a wink of fate. We'll keep it in our heart forever...

In our previous articles, which you can read on the “blog” page for those who haven't yet consulted them, we took an in-depth look at the effectiveness of protection and the many factors that can influence or impact it, far beyond the statistics of annual losses due to wolves, which is just one factor among many. The reality is that today, if we really wanted to assess the effectiveness of protection in our country, it would be mandatory to take into account all the factors mentioned in our previous articles, especially the evolution of means of protection on each farm. We're talking here about changes made over the course of the year or compared with previous years (increase, stagnation or decrease in the methods used), but also those affecting the so-called live protection, i.e. the guardian dogs (abilities and interest in protection, physiological and psychological state, possible health problems in the form of illnesses or injuries, female in heat within a pack requiring the removal of individuals, concerns linked to potentially advanced age, etc.). And, of course, everything to do with the wolf and the pack present in the summering areas (territory management, evolution/modification of numbers, human intervention through regulation, character/personality of individuals, understanding of the territories and buffer zones by the authorities, etc.). But there's one element that we don't talk about enough, yet which is of enormous importance in everything to do with protection : the human being !

Many people still think that a wolf pack spends its time together, or that the hunt is conducted with all members present. We're going to give you some explanation about two spexplain to you, very simply, two very important key points about packs at this time of year - summer and the education of cubs. We need to know and understand them because, as we see in the field and when political decisions are being made, the way a pack functions is still poorly understood and, in some cases, even ignored, so that we can shoot as quickly as possible, particularly when it comes to reactive and proactive control shots. Errors are common, especially when it comes to evaluating a pack. The most frequent problem is that interpretations aren't based on a compilation and in-depth analysis of all the data collected, with the benefit of hindsight and knowledge.

The period from the first signs of reproduction to whelping (February-May) can be a source of conflict within the pack. Hormones and personalities lead to significant tensions, as only the breeding pair reproduces in a pack. From then on, between jealousy, protection and aggression, certain hierarchical changes can occur but, above all, this can provoke departures among the sub-adults present. But do you know the different ways in which these individuals can reproduce ? We'll tell you all about it...

In Switzerland, as you already know, the first phase of proactive regulation took place between December 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024. The Arsene's pack, along with 11 others (including 6 in Valais), was targeted for complete elimination. At the same time, 6 packs were to be shot internally, in order to remove young wolves from the year 2023 or sub-adults. And 5 other packs were also targeted by reactive regulation shots, for exceeding the quota for losses on livestock. Overall, 23 packs out of 32-35 were shot at in 2023. The result is serious, with 61 wolves shot over the year as a whole, including 38 during the two months of proactive regulation, of which 27 in Valais. Two packs were totally decimated, and at least 7 others lost a member of their breeding pair (a male in each case).

We continue with the second part of our series of articles on wolf regulation. Let's talk about the brand new method of regulation, which came into force on December 1, 2023 in Switzerland under the new Ordinance, which is still in the "test" phase and will not officially come into force until February 2025. We explain what it consists of and the real effects on both : attacks on livestock and the wolf itself, the packs, the species etc.

In view of current events in Switzerland, we are forced to explain the possible consequences of shooting within the pack we are following, as well as the others concerned by proactive regulation. It is necessary to understand that two types of regulation are currently in place in Switzerland, due to the Ordinance in test phase: reactive and proactive. We take a look at these two methods and the effects that shooting could have over the coming months and potentially years.

Some time ago, we were lucky enough to observe a highly instructive inter-species interaction. We're going to share that interesting experience with you. The video will follow shortly, in order to preserve the safety of the Arsene's pack, as we've already explained.

We continue our articles series about the wolf and the way he hunts his prey, the tactics, organisation and physical assets/abilities. You'll find plenty more details on how wolves hunt their prey.

Arsène's pack is doing very well, according to our latest monitoring and visual observations. The period between the birth of the cubs (May) and the moment when they can finally travel with the pack (September) is particularly intensive for the breeding couple.

July is here, what's the latest news from Arsene's pack? What are they doing at that time of the year ? We bring you up to date and share with you some unseen videos coming from our cameras traps...

HERE WE GO !!! From now on, we'll be sharing our logbook with you, where you'll be able to read about our adventures, observations & encounters during our "scouting" days and peregrinations.

Arsene's pack is very busy at the moment, moving less than usual to look after Lupine and the probable new members. So we take this opportunity to show you a video of a subadult of Arsene's pack and give you some explanation about how excursions among subadults work.

So, what research are we conducting exactly? What financial means are being invested in our projects? What methods do we use to collect data so that you may peek into the lives of our wildlife? Here, you’ll find more information about our work, our motivations, our accomplishments so far as well as our plans for the upcoming months and years.

Time has come to introduce you to the pack that we will study with your support. As already mentioned, we won't give any information about its name, its location, to keep the pack safe. So we have chosen a nice little name : ARSENE'S PACK !

Wolf moves constantly, mostly at night and on a 100 to 250 km2 territory. Then it becomes obvious that the observation of possible interactions between individuals or behaviors during the different phases of their social life is extremely difficult.