How are the wolves in Białowieża Forest, and where can they be found? These are the most common questions I get asked by visitors. The wolves here are among the best-studied in the world, making the answers lengthy but fascinating.

As elsewhere in Europe, wolves in Białowieża Forest have had a turbulent history. Over the past century their numbers have varied dramatically — peaking after wars, and crashing as extermination programmes were introduced. Particularly intensive persecution occurred between 1946 and 1960, at which point wolf numbers reached zero.

Fortunately, Białowieża Forest is connected to extensive wild forest in the east, and wolves recolonised spontaneously as the extermination programme wound down. Hunting was reduced to negligible levels by the 1980s, and wolves became strictly protected in 1989 — a status that continues to the present day.

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The Białowieża Forest wolf population

There are four wolf families (packs) in the Polish part of Białowieża Forest, though in recent years there have been reports of additional packs establishing territories. Systematic year-to-year monitoring no longer takes place, so the current picture is not entirely clear. Pack size varies depending on how many pups are born and how many survive, but packs generally number 5–10 wolves — giving a total Polish-side population of roughly 20–40 animals, possibly more.

This may seem small, but it appears to be close to the carrying capacity of the Polish section. Each family occupies around 200 km² and defends that territory from other wolves. The population has been remarkably stable: pack sizes and territory boundaries have remained broadly the same for over 20 years, even as the individual wolves within them have changed (wolves live up to 8–10 years in the wild).

Before this stable state emerged, an interesting event occurred. There used to be a single pack living in the south of the forest. That family split in two — which is why the two packs inhabiting the southern part of the forest, living side by side, are called the Leśna I and Leśna II packs. We have had four families ever since.

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Diet and ecological effects

The diet of wolves in Białowieża Forest was studied extensively in the 1990s. A wolf family was found to kill prey on average once every couple of days. As elsewhere in Europe, red deer dominate the diet — comprising around 80% of biomass consumed. Roe deer and wild boar make up most of the remainder, with smaller mammals such as hares and beavers taken occasionally. Larger species like moose and bison are killed very rarely, though it does happen. Since those diet studies were conducted, wild boar have been virtually wiped out in the forest by African swine fever, so they likely play only a minor role in the contemporary wolf diet.

Wolf predation benefits the forest’s ecology in several ways. By taking a share of prey populations, wolves limit overgrazing of forest vegetation. They also tend to select weaker individuals, helping keep prey populations healthy. But perhaps most importantly, the mere presence of wolves triggers radical changes in prey behaviour — prey alter their movements and activity patterns to avoid predation. These so-called ‘landscape of fear’ effects are the focus of our research group, and a topic I’ll cover in more detail in a separate post.

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Spatial distribution and activity patterns

A study from the 1990s tracked eight GPS-collared wolves to map how they used the forest in space and time. Four separate wolf families were identified, each occupying a distinct territory. Wolves were found to roam across the entire forest area, but to spend most of their time within a roughly 50 km² core area or rendezvous site — the centre of each pack’s activity, where they most often return to rest. These core areas are situated as far from human settlements as possible.

Wolf distributions were studied again more recently by a colleague of mine, Jakub Bubnicki, using an extensive camera trap network to map wolves, lynx and herbivores across the forest. His results confirmed that wolves still use broadly the same core areas as in the 1990s.

Wolves can be active at any hour, but their activity peaks at dawn and dusk — when prey are most active and hunting is most productive. Over the year they travel an average of around 25 km per day. In spring, during pup-rearing, they range less widely, staying close to dens and rendezvous sites. In autumn and winter they roam furthest, patrolling and defending their territories more intensively — a pattern that may also help prevent prey from becoming too accustomed to their presence in frequently used areas.

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Spotting a wolf

For the best chance of a sighting, head towards the core areas around dawn or dusk. That said, wolves can turn up anywhere in the forest — even on meadows near the villages. Just bear in mind that direct sightings are rare: I see them only once or twice a year. You are far more likely to find field signs — tracks, scat, prey remains and territory markings — than the animals themselves.

Territory markings are most common in the core areas and along territory boundaries. Scat deposition is consistent throughout the year, but urine marking and ground scratching are 2–3 times more frequent between October and January.

Wolves generally pose no danger to humans. If you encounter one, remain calm, avoid sudden movements, and back away slowly. Wolves have relatively poor eyesight and may stare for a while trying to identify you before moving off.

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Discover wolf ecology firsthand on our guided old-growth seminar, five days exploring wolf territories, beaver meadows and ancient forest with a scientist who has studied this forest for nearly a decade.