PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The principal refuge for large European carnivores, the Piatra Craiului National Park situated in the Carpathian mountains of Romania is home to significant populations of bears, wolves and lynxes. Piatra Craiului has retained a semi-natural state up to the present time which has made it possible to maintain these species. But the changing socio-economic and political situation in Romania could soon upset this balance. This is all the more likely given the ongoing conflicts developing between conservationists on one side and hunters and livestock breeders on the other. Until now, the park has not had management mechanisms to tackle these problems.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this project are to (a) develop management guidelines for the large carnivores in the national park with involvement from the local population, and (b) to begin to implement these guidelines. The project will help to find solutions to the conflict between the conservation of carnivores and land uses, such as for grazing livestock.
The project will follow on from a major management project financed by the Global Environment Facility and plans to establish a model to be reproduced in other similar areas of the Carpathians. To this end, a management team comprising all the local socio-economic players involved will be set up. Management prescriptions for the three large carnivores will be drawn up and a team of park keepers will ensure that they are applied. Conflicts between users will be analysed and the purchase of 157 ha of pastureland will make it possible to encourage natural prey into the area. An awareness campaign will be one of the main aspects of this project. All the socio-economic players of the park will be involved and an education programme will be devised for local schools.
RESULTS
Action plans for wolves, bears and lynxes were agreed by local stakeholders. Monitoring results were put on a GIS and important corridors for the species identified. Brasov County Council integrated these large carnivore corridors between Piatra Craiului and the Bucegi Mountains (where there is another National Park) in the Land Use Plan of Brasov County.
The alpine meadow land purchase foreseen could not happen because of a change of law during the project. Instead, measures such as use of electric fences and changes in grazing management (reducing grazing pressure) were used to prevent damage to grazing livestock and orchards. These measures were found to be effective. Although there was a steady decrease in the number of attacks on livestock (down from 40 animals lost in 2001 to 10 in 2003), this may not have just been been a result of the project’s activities (for example increased tourist activity may have pushed the carnivores to more remote areas). Shepherds were taught how best to use electric fences and move livestock night resting places.
The project team networked effectively with other LIFE projects dealing with bears, and also with the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe and the environmental NGO, WWF. Outreach included targeting 8-13 year olds in none schools, and activities became part of the natural sciences curriculum there. The project team provided technical and scientific advice to another Romanian Life Nature project aimed at the conservation of large carnivores in Vrancea County (LIFE02 NAT/RO/008576). Action plans for wolves, bears and lynxes were agreed by local stakeholders. Monitoring results were put on a GIS and important corridors for the species identified. Brasov County Council integrated these large carnivore corridors between Piatra Craiului and the Bucegi Mountains (where there is another National Park) in the Land Use Plan of Brasov County.
The alpine meadow land purchase foreseen could not happen because of a change of law during the project. Instead, measures such as use of electric fences and changes in grazing management (reducing grazing pressure) were used to prevent damage to grazing livestock and orchards. These measures were found to be effective. Although there was a steady decrease in the number of attacks on livestock (down from 40 animals lost in 2001 to 10 in 2003), this may not have just been been a result of the project’s activities (for example increased tourist activity may have pushed the carnivores to more remote areas). Shepherds were taught how best to use electric fences and move livestock night resting places.
The project team networked effectively with other LIFE projects dealing with bears, and also with the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe and the environmental NGO, WWF. Outreach included targeting 8-13 year olds in none schools, and activities became part of the natural sciences curriculum there. The project team provided technical and scientific advice to another Romanian Life Nature project aimed at the conservation of large carnivores in Vrancea County (LIFE02 NAT/RO/008576).
