New Aspect in Understanding the Biocenotic Role of Domestic Ungulates in the Life of Wolf (Canis lupus L.)

Abstract

The dynamics of wolf attacks on domestic ungulates at the levels of population group (the region of Central Forest Nature Reserve) and population (Tver oblast) have been analyzed over the period of 1971 to 2015. It has been found that the frequency of attacks increases during the phase of predator population growth under the effect of qualitative changes within the population. An increase in the frequency of attacks and the number of sheep and calves killed per attack also takes place in the summer–autumn period, as a consequence of training wolf cubs in methods of killing prey. Therefore, domestic animals are not only a source of food for the wolf but also an object for training the young.