Wolf (Canis lupus) in Romania: winter feeding ecology and spatial interaction with lynx (Lynx lynx)

The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is probably one of the most studied species in Europe. To date, despite the large number of projects that have been addressed to it, few studies have actually been carried out in the Romanian Carpathian. This pioneering study, entirely developed within the WOLFLIFE project (LIFE13 NAT/RO/000205), aimed to assess the ecological role of the predator in Romania, studying its winter feeding ecology and the spatial interaction with the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Accomplished during the winter 2014/15, the collection of signs of presence was achieved by performing transects, both standard and occasional, over an area of 1.200 km2. In total, from 270 excrements collected, 135 were selected and analysed to assess the wolf diet. Out of all food types found (n=12), wild boar (Sus scrofa) represented the main preyed species throughout the winter, accounting for 57,9% of biomass ingested, followed by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) at 20% and 13,6%, respectively. Dog (Canis familiaris) ranked fourth accounting for 5,2%. Regarding the species interaction, the overlap of the signs of presence for both species was compared, based on snow tracking data and considering variables such as land cover and elevation. Despite a similar use in habitat and altitude, the species share their territory spatially but not temporally, suggesting that both carnivores share the same trails but use them at different times