The King of the Forest: Local Knowledge About European Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Implications for Their Conservation in Contemporary Western Macedonia

From a conservation point of view, Macedonia’s brown bear (Ursus arctos) population appears to be a key link in the distribution of one of Europe’s largest brown bear populations, the Dinaric-Pindos population. The lack of information concerning the bear population in the Republic of Macedonia and bear acceptance by local people inspired us to explore local knowledge and perceptions concerning bears that could be relevant for their conservation. Accordingly, we adopted a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to determine how the specifi c behaviour and ecology of bears can infl uence, through interactions, local peoples’ knowledge and perceptions. Our results show that due to numerous interactions, the informants’ knowledge appeared to be detailed and consistent, both internally and with existing scientifi c literature about bears. Bear specifi c behaviour allows them to be located, individualised and thus appropriated by villagers, and also to be identifi ed as an alter-ego. For the villagers, the occasional harmfulness of a bear is not the result of a general characteristic of bears in general, but of some individual bear’s behaviour. Finally, bears enjoy a relatively good image as long as local people can react against individuals that cause damage. However, direct or indirect poaching of bears is still a main concern for the Macedonian brown bear’s conservationThe King of the Forest: Local Knowledge About European Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Implications for Their Conservation in Contemporary Western MacedoniapublishedVersio

Fear of the unknown: local knowledge and perceptions of the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in western Macedonia

The remnant population of Balkan lynx Lynx lynx martinoi is small, isolated and highly threatened. Since 2006 a conservation project has surveyed its status and promoted its recovery in Albania and Macedonia. Eurasian lynx are often associated with conflicts of an economic or social nature, and their conservation requires a focus on the people sharing the landscape with the species. In this study we adopt methods and conceptual frameworks from anthropology to explore the local knowledge and perceptions of lynx among rural hunters and livestock breeders in the western mountains of the Republic of Macedonia in south-east Europe. The main finding was that local people rarely saw or interacted with lynx. As the level of interactions with this species is very low, the lynx doesn't appear to be a species associated with conflicts in Macedonia. There was also a general lack of both scientific and local knowledge, which has led to somewhat negative attitudes, mainly based on myths and rumours. Poaching of lynx and their prey seem to be the main barriers to lynx conservatio

Rasprostranjenost i najmanja veličina populacije euroazijskog risa (Lynx lynx) u Hrvatskoj u razdoblju 2018.–2020.

Scientific data on distribution and abundance of endangered species are the foundation for their effective conservation and management. In this paper, we present results of the first scientifically – based estimation of lynx population size in Croatia. The goal of the study was to determine the area of lynx distribution and to estimate the minimum size of lynx population in Croatia in the period 2018 - 2020. To determine lynx distribution, 902 signs of lynx presence were collected in the period from the beginning of May 2018 until the end of April 2020. Out of those, 92.8% of lynx observations were categorized as C1, 2.8% as C2 and 4.4% as C3. Permanent lynx presence was confirmed in Primorsko – Goranska and Ličko – Senjska county, in southern part of Karlovac county and north-eastern part of Zadar county on the total surface of 7200 km2. For the minimum population size estimation, 804 camera trap photographs led to identification of 89 – 108 adult lynxes. Among 108 identified individuals there were 29 females, 22 males, while for 7 animals the sex was not determined. During the two reproductive seasons, we photographed 44 cubs in 25 litters. Future important steps in lynx population monitoring are correcting the deficiencies identified in this study and implementation of methodology that will allow us to use spatial capture recapture models for estimation of lynx abundance in Croatia.Znanstveni podaci o rasprostranjenosti i brojnosti temelj su za učinkovito upravljanje i zaštitu ugroženih populacija. U ovom radu predstavljamo rezultate prve znanstveno utemeljene procjene veličine populacije risa u Hrvatskoj. Cilj praćenja bio je utvrditi područje rasprostranjenosti risa i procijeniti najmanju veličinu populacije risa u Hrvatskoj u razdoblju 2018. - 2020. godine. U svrhu utvrđivanja rasprostranjenosti populacije, prikupljena su 902 znaka prisutnosti risa u razdoblju od 1. svibnja 2018. do 30. travnja 2020. Od toga je 92,8% podataka kategorizirano kao C1, 2,8% kao C2 i 4,4% C3. Trajna prisutnost risa potvrđena je u Primorsko-goranskoj i Ličko-senjskoj županiji, u južnom dijelu Karlovačke županije i sjeveroistočnom dijelu Zadarske županije, na ukupnoj površini od 7200 km2. Za procjenu minimalne veličine populacije, prikupljene su 804 fotografije s fotozamki tijekom obje sezone te je identificirano 89 do 108 odraslih životinja. Među 108 identificiranih jedinki, bilo je 29 ženki, 22 mužjaka i 57 životinja nepoznatog spola. Tijekom dvije sezone fotografirali smo 44 mladunca u 25 legla. Budući važni koraci u praćenju populacije risa su ispravljanje nedostataka utvrđenih u ovoj studiji, kako bi se omogućila procjena brojnosti korištenjem modela prostornog hvatanja i ponovnog hvatanja jedinki

Distribution and genetic status of brown bears in FYR Macedonia: implications for conservation

Abstract Conservation and management of large carnivores is often hampered by the lack of information of basic biological parameters. This is particularly true for brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia. The bear population in this country is important, as it links bear populations of the central part of the DinaricPindos population and the endangered population to the south in Greece. The aim of this study was to assess bear presence in FYR Macedonia and to provide the first evaluation of the genetic status of the species in this country. Bear presence was assessed through a questionnaire and sign surveys, while the genetic status of the species was evaluated through noninvasive genetic sampling from power poles and microsatellite analysis. The results of the study indicate the continuous and permanent presence of brown bears in FYR Macedonia from the border to Kosovo in the northwest, along the border to Albania and Greece in the south; bear presence around Mount Kožuf in the south of the country was seasonal. High levels of genetic diversity were recorded, and it appears that this bear population is currently not threatened by low genetic variability. Cross-border movements of bears between FYR Macedonia and Greece were documented, indicating the presence of an interconnected population and outlining the necessity for a coordinated international approach in the monitoring and conservation of the species in southeastern Europe

Timing and synchrony of birth in Eurasian lynx across Europe

The ecology and evolution of reproductive timing and synchrony have been a topic of great interest in evolutionary ecology for decades. Originally motivated by questions related to behavioral and reproductive adaptation to environmental conditions, the topic has acquired new relevance in the face of climate change. However, there has been relatively little research on reproductive phenology in mammalian carnivores. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) occurs across the Eurasian continent, covering three of the four main climate regions of the world. Thus, their distribution includes a large variation in climatic conditions, making it an ideal species to explore reproductive phenology. Here, we used data on multiple reproductive events from 169 lynx females across Europe. Mean birth date was May 28 (April 23 to July 1), but was similar to 10 days later in northern Europe than in central and southern Europe. Birth dates were relatively synchronized across Europe, but more so in the north than in the south. Timing of birth was delayed by colder May temperatures. Severe and cold weather may affect neonatal survival via hypothermia and avoiding inclement weather early in the season may select against early births, especially at northern latitudes. Overall, only about half of the kittens born survived until onset of winter but whether kittens were born relatively late or early did not affect kitten survival. Lynx are strict seasonal breeders but still show a degree of flexibility to adapt the timing of birth to surrounding environmental conditions. We argue that lynx give birth later when exposed to colder spring temperatures and have more synchronized births when the window of favorable conditions for raising kittens is shorter. This suggests that lynx are well adapted to different environmental conditions, from dry and warm climates to alpine, boreal, and arctic climates. This variation in reproductive timing will be favorable in times of climate change, as organisms with high plasticity are more likely to adjust to new environmental conditions

Parties and Elections Macedonia August 2005

Attitudes towards elections and voting preferences. Topics: Parliamentary elections; expected outcome of the election; trust in politicians; VMRO-DPMNE officials; SDSM officials; vice president of VMRO-DPMNE; vice presidents of SDSM; other VMRO-DPMNE officials; other SDSM officials; early parliamentary elections; better Prime Minister: Vlado Buckovski or Nikola Gruevski; ´direct deals´ policy of the Government; the work of the new Mayor of Skopje. Demography: Gender; age; education; occupation; ethnic belonging; place of living; region.Wahleinstellung und Wahlentscheidung. Themen: Parlamentswahlen; erwarteter Wahlausgang; Vertrauen in Politiker; offizielle Vertreter der VMRO-DPMNE und SDSM; Vizepräsident der VMRO-DPMNE; Vizepräsident der SDSM; weitere Vertreter der VMRO-DPMNE und SDSM. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Bildung; Beruf; ethnische Zugehörigkeit; Wohnort; Region

Parties and Elections Macedonia November 2004

Attitudes towards elections and voting preferences. Topics: Parliamentary elections; trust in politicians; new president of the Social-Democrats; corruption in the government. Demography: Gender; age; education; occupation; ethnic belonging; place of living; region.Wahleinstellung und Wahlverhalten. Themen: Parlamentswahlen; Vertrauen in Politiker; neuer Präsident der Sozialdemokraten; Korruption in der Regierung. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Bildung; Beruf; ethnische Zugehörigkeit; Wohnort; Region

Parties and Elections – Presidential Elections in Macedonia April (mid-term) 2004

Attitudes towards elections and voting preferences. Topics: Parliamentary elections; Presidential elections-first round; Presidential elections-second round. Demography: Gender; age; education; occupation; ethnic belonging; place of living; region.Wahleinstellung und Wahlentscheidung. Themen: Parlamentswahlen; Präsidentschaftswahl erster Wahlgang; Präsidentschaftswahl zweiter Wahlgang. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Bildung; Beruf; ethnische Zugehörigkeit; Wohnort; Region

Current Political Issues Macedonia May 2005

Current political issues and preferences of parties and politicians. Topics: EU integration; privatization of electric company; trust in politicians; parliamentary elections. Demography: Gender; age; education; occupation; ethnic belonging; place of living; region.Gegenwärtige politische Fragen, Parteien- und Politikerpräferenz. Themen: EU Integration; Privatisierung der Stromversorger; Vertrauen in Politiker. Parlamentswahlen. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Bildung; Beruf; ethnische Zugehörigkeit; Wohnort; Region