DIGITALNA ARHIVA ŠUMARSKOG LISTA
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| ŠUMARSKI LIST 5-6/2021 str. 69 <-- 69 --> PDF |
(SAC) and four Special Protection Areas (SPA) of the Nature 2000 network are on Croatian side, whilst 15 SAC and two SPA are on the Hungarian side of the border. Methods – Metode rada Based on the Croatian hunting law (2018), all hunting organizations are required to record game animal mortality that occurs in their respective hunting grounds. This data, including data on fence-related mortality, was accessed from the official game management plans for the all 30 relevant hunting grounds that are located along the Hungary–Croatia border. However, to confirm available data and acquire additional information, we interviewed managers of these hunting grounds between September 2015 and December 2017. The age of the dead animals was estimated by responsible hunting authorities in each hunting ground using macroscopic inspection of tooth eruption, replacement and patterns of tooth wear in mandibles (see for red deer: Lowe, 1967; Brown and Chapman, 1991; for roe deer: Aitken, 1975; Ratcliffe and Mayle, 1992; and for wild boar: Boitani and Mattei, 1992). All found animals were classified into three age groups as follows: juveniles (less than one-year-old), yearlings (between one and two years of age), and adults (older than two years), respectively. RESULTS REZULTATI Out of 30 Croatian hunting grounds bordering Hungary, 13 had in the study period border fence within their area. Of these 13 hunting grounds, eight reported ungulate mortalities, whilst the remaining five recorded no mortalities. After the installation of fences at Hungary–Croatia border (in September 2015), 64 ungulates (38 red deer, 23 roe deer, and three wild boar) were found entangled in or deceased due to the razor-wired fence along the Croatian side of the border alone till the end of the study period, i.e. till December 2017 (Table 1; Supplementary Table S1). In addition, two large birds were also found dead in the fence: one whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), and one white stork (Ciconia ciconia). Overall, these figures equate to a mortality rate of 0.47 ungulates/km of fence in the 28-months period, made up of 0.28 red deer, 0.17 roe deer, and 0.02 wild boar, respectively. The age structure of all fenced-killed ungulates found at the Hungary–Croatia border, regardless of the species, was as follows: six juveniles (fawns/calves/piglets), nine yearlings, and 48 adults; the age of one individual was undetermined (Supplementary Table S1). Age structure of red deer casualties found in the border fence indicates higher exposure |