The Coexistence of Humans and Wolves Discussed in Dugopolje
Today, the second stakeholder meeting of the LIFE Wild Wolf project was held in the premises of the "Hidden Dalmatia" Visitor Center in Dugopolje. The project aims to achieve balanced, long-term conservation of wolves in the wild while simultaneously removing factors that attract wolves to human settlements. The project is jointly implemented by 18 partners, including research institutions, management authorities, and organizations from eight European countries, and will run until August 2027.
The organizers of this meeting were the Croatian Hunting Association and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, with the support of colleagues from the Split-Dalmatia County. More than 30 stakeholders participated, including representatives from relevant ministries, livestock farmers, hunters, inspectors, police, Hrvatske Šume (Croatian Forests), public institutions managing protected areas, municipal companies, animal shelters, and others. The goal was to agree on the purpose of the platform, define the roles of each member, and identify priority activities for joint implementation. Funding is provided through LIFE Wild Wolf and a grant from the European Commission, which Croatia secured after years of seeking assistance regarding wolf management challenges.
Wolves are returning to their habitats across Europe, especially in countries that had eradicated wolves in the past. This is the result of decades of conservation efforts. However, human activities and infrastructure in wolf habitats have led to wolves appearing near settlements. While there is no real danger to people, fear still exists. This project aims to find a compromise for coexistence between humans and wildlife.
“One of the conclusions of the meeting is to continue building trust through publicly available data on wolf observations, preventing situations that attract wolves to settlements, such as easily accessible waste or stray dogs, and agreeing on more meaningful measures from rural development programs in wolf-populated areas. In this regard, Natura 2000 should be seen as an advantage, not a barrier,” explained Roko Pavić, Secretary of the Hunting Association of Zadar County.
Ivan Cvitković, from the professional service of the Hunting Association of Split-Dalmatia County, highlighted that poison in nature remains a significant problem, posing dangers to both animals and humans. He emphasized the importance of continuing education and strengthening capacities for wolf monitoring, such as through the Tracker network, as well as enhancing the expertise of the relevant authorities.
The meeting was also attended by Dr. Valeria Salvatori, the project’s lead coordinator from Italy, who shared experiences from other European regions where similar platforms operate with the support of the European Commission. All these efforts aim to assist people encountering wolves while maintaining a healthy wolf population and the ecosystems on which we all depend.
