Minor habituation to repeated experimental approaches in Scandinavian wolves

• Published in: European Journal of Wildlife Research
• Main Authors: Wam, H. K., Eldegard, K., Hjeljord, O.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2014
• Subjects: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law; Nature and Landscape Conservation; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-014-0841-0; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10344-014-0841-0.pdf; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-014-0841-0/fulltext.html; http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10344-014-0841-0

Abstract Large carnivores may become dangerous if they habituate to humans. We repeatedly approached wild wolves Canis lupus throughout a year to test their individual response to human encounters ( N = 141 trials). None of the at least 25 wolves present during the study visually or vocally exposed themselves. The wolves fled at a mean distance of 248 ± SE 11 m (range, 35–488 m). Their tolerance was most strongly influenced by the presence of site-dependent pups, while the distance at which they were initially alerted was most strongly influenced by detectability of human (wind and noise). The mean alert distance was 324 ± 19 m in the first and 264 ± 17 m in subsequent within-day trials, while tolerance distances showed no such trend, neither within a day nor throughout the year. The study indicates a high level of individual plasticity, making habituation difficult to predict.