BIRDS: GOLDEN EAGLE, EAGLE OWL, THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, DIPPER, NUTCRACKER, RAVEN, ALPINE ACCENTOR

Golden eagle (pl orzeł przedni)

The golden eagle is brown and has a yellow, curved beak which is darker at the end. The eagle also has strong talons and an excellent vision. The females are bigger than males, the biggest females may have a wingspan of more than 2 metres and the length of their bodies reach 1 meter. Their wings, while spread, have digitate edges which makes the eagle easily distinguishable in flight from other birds of prey.

A pair of the golden eagles keeps a few nests on their territory. In most cases they build them on tops of old fir trees, spruces and ledges. The female chooses one of those nests to lay her eggs at the turn of March and April. Why do the eagles need so many nests? The answer is simple – to deceive their enemies.

After hatching the strongest hatchling usually eliminates its weaker siblings by attacking them and eating all of the food carried to the nest by the female. Such a phenomenon is called cainism and it is characteristic not only for the eagles, but for other birds as well. Though it may seem cruel to us, it is actually quite beneficial for the population of the eagles, as only the strongest and the best adapted specimens survive.

The tails and wings of young golden eagles are spotted with large, white patches, which disappear about the time when the eagle is ready to make its own nest. A pair of eagles stays together till one of them dies. The golden eagles live up to 20 years in the wild, however, their life span may double if they are well fed and protected in captivity.

The eagles raise their offspring and hunt together. They prey on mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. They kill groundhogs, foxes, young chamois and roe deer. The golden eagles attack their prey on the ground more often than in the air. During the attack they rather use their talons than their beaks. Sometimes the eagles also feed on carcasses.

The golden eagle is on the top of the food chain, which is why it requires a vast territory. On the Polish side of the Tatra mountains there is only one pair of the eagles living in the Western Tatras. On the Slovakian side of the Tatra mountains there are six pairs of the golden eagles.

Unfortunately, the biggest threat to the golden eagles are people. During the first half of 20th century the only eagles observed in the Polish Tatras were passing birds, however, nowadays there is a single pair of the eagles living and breeding in the Western Tatras.

In literature the eagles often attack people who come too close to their nest and there are even some stories about the eagles eating babies, however, it is pure fiction. In reality people pose much bigger threat to the eagles than the other way around. People used to kill the eagles for their precious feathers, sometimes they would also pick young hatchlings and eggs from the eagles’ nests to raise the birds in captivity. Nowadays the biggest threat to the golden eagles are tourists illegally entering restricted areas around the eagles’ nests. We must always remember that while we take our picture of the birds we may well be condemning them to be abandoned by their parents and, in consequence, to die. The eagles are legally protected, which means that restricted areas are created wherever they choose to make their nests.

Eagle owl (pl puchacz)

The eagle owl is not only the biggest owl living in the Tatra mountains or the biggest owl living in Poland. It is actually the biggest owl in the world. The biggest eagle owls reach the wingspan of 170 centimetres. Of course, they are exclusively female, as the female eagle owls grow much bigger than male ones.

The eagle owls have a few centimetres long, feathery “ears”, which are actually not ears at all. Their actual ears are hidden among their feathers on the sides of their heads. They are located asymmetrically, which is why various sounds reach them in different time. It allows them to better locate the source of a sound in their surroundings. The hearing of the eagle owls, and of the other owls, is additionally enhanced by the facial disc, which is a concave collection of feathers on the face of some birds—most notably owls—surrounding their eyes. The facial disc catches sounds and enhances the hearing of the bird. Even though the facial discs of the eagle owls are not as efficient as the ones of the other owls they rely mostly on their hearing to locate their prey while hunting at nights. They are very good at it and usually succeed, even if their prey is quiet like a mouse.

What the eagle owls can’t digest they spit out. These so-called pellets are skulls and bones, feathers, claws and beaks. They pile up in places where the owls like to sit, which are easily recognizable because they look like they were painted white (the ‘paint’ are in fact the feces of the eagle owl), and in their nests. They can be used to analyse the eating habits of the owl.

So what exactly do the eagle owls eat? Well, they kill hedgehogs, voles, rats, ravens, jays and other birds of similar sizes, however, they sometimes attack much bigger animals, such like rabbits and even foxes. The eagle owls also hunt other owls – tawny owls and long-eared owls. They fight hawks for their nests and attack piscivorous birds.

The eagle owls are generally nocturnal, although sometimes they also hunt during days. They prefer to hunt at nights, because during days they are followed and disturbed by flocks of smaller birds.

In the Polish Tatra mountains there are several pairs of the eagle owls. They require large territories to feed themselves and their young. They usually make nests on ledges on the rocks of the montane valleys and start mating in winter. It is at that time when we can hear their characteristic hooting. The nest of the eagle owl is very simple – it is a hole filled with the owl’s pellets and fur and feathers of its prey. From February to the beginning of April the female lays 2 to 4 eggs in the nest. The male feeds the female while it incubates the eggs. They form long-lasting pairs.

The young eagle owls leave their nests before they learn to fly and sit on the branches surrounding the nests, however, they are still fed and protect there by their parents. Despite their parents’ protection many of the young owls die attacked by the very same species that the adult owls prey on. As in the case of the golden eagle, there are restricted areas established around the eagle owls’ nests, where the entry is prohibited.

Three-toed woodpecker (pl dzięcioł trójpalczasty)

The three-toed woodpecker lives in spruce forests, where there are lots of dead trees. It is approximately the size of a thrush. It is a resident bird that spends the winters in its forest.

The three-toed woodpeckers live in the Tatra mountains in all montane zones, although there are more of them in the upper montane zone, as there are a lot of old, rotting tree infested with the bark beetles.

As the name suggest the three-toed woodpecker has three toes on each leg, two of them facing forward and one backward. Other species of woodpeckers have four toes, two facing forward and two backward. The woodpeckers use their talons and strong and long tails to gain stability while they drill the trees.

The male woodpeckers are easily distinguishable from female ones because of the colour of their caps – they are yellow, whereas the female caps are white with black stripes. Unlike other woodpeckers the three-toes woodpeckers have no red accents in their colouring.

The woodpecker is equipped with very tough and sharp beak capable of drilling wood. It also has a long and sticky tongue, which helps him reach food beneath the bark. It feeds mostly on insects, especially on beetles, both in the larvae form and mature ones. The bark beetles are its favourites, but it is also fond of longhorn beetles and snout beetles. The three-toed woodpeckers also eat larvae of butterflies. According to entomologists a single three-toed woodpecker can eat more than half a million of the bark beetles in various stages of life during a year. The woodpecker can also feed on the tree sap and eats seeds of trees and other plants during winters.

The woodpecker marks its trees with characteristic holes in the trunk of the tree. The bird makes its nest in rotting trunks of spruce and alder trees at the height of few metres. The diameter of the hollow is about 5 centimetres. At the beginning of May the female woodpecker lays several eggs in the nest. After that both the parents look after the eggs. Once the young woodpeckers hatch the parents still feed them for a month after they leave their parents’ nest.

Dipper (pl pluszcz)

The dipper a dark coloured bird with white spots on its dewlap and chest. It is the size of the common sterling, although the females are bigger than the males. Many of the waterfowls have similar colouring, as it makes them less visible on dark background for the potential predators looking down and on the bright background for the potential prey looking up.

The bones of the dipper are filled with marrow (unlike other birds which have hollow bones) as it makes it easier for them to dip under water. The dipper dives in the chilling water or mountain creaks both in summer and winter, even if it has to find a hole in the ice covering water. It doesn’t freeze thanks to its preen gland oil which impregnates its feathers and keeps them dry. Besides, when it is really cold it is the water that seems warm, as its temperature is still a little above 0.

The dippers do not leave for the winter, but spend that time on their territories. That is why they usually nestle nearby mountain creaks which don’t freeze over during winter, providing the birds with a source of food.

While underwater the dipper uses its beak to reach larvae of insects and other invertebrates beneath the rocks at the bottom. The dippers often rest on rocks above the surface of water. During the rest they make moves that imitate flowing water, which makes them more difficult to notice for the predators.

The nests of the dippers are usually hidden in crevices beneath rocks near water or even behind waterfalls. The best nests are used by several generation of the birds. Occasionally the dippers fight among themselves for the most suitable nesting places and for territories, which usually cover riverside terrain from few hundred metres up to even few kilometres.

During a year two generations of young dippers hatch. After they leave the nest the young dippers are still fed by their parents for some time.

Nutcracker (pl orzechówka)

The nutcrackers are small corvid birds the size of jays. They are brown with brighter spots and black heads, wings and tails.

The beak of the nutcracker is adapted for picking up the seeds from the cones of the Swiss pine trees. The nutcrackers feed on the seeds and at the same time they spread them by hiding some of the seeds in the ground. The birds do not carry the seeds one by one, but stash up to few dozens of them in their crops. They bury several seeds at a time few centimetres deep in the ground. It is perfect depth both for the birds to hide their seeds as well as for the seeds of the Swiss pine to sprout. Some of the hidden spots are forgotten and in some cases the bird that hid the seeds dies before the following spring. In such cases there are young saplings of the Swiss pine in places where the nutcracker’s pantry used to be. According to experts, the nutcracker can hide up to even a hundred thousand of seeds of the Swiss pine. In August, when the cones of the Swiss pine are ripe flocks of the birds gather in the vicinity of the trees to fight for the seeds along with squirrels and woodpeckers, which are also very fond of the delicacy. At that time the old Swiss pine tree stands become one of the noisiest places in the forests of the Tatra mountains. It is a similar case with the common hazels as the nutcrackers (obviously) like the hazelnuts as well.

Apart from the seeds of the Swiss pine and the hazelnuts the nutcrackers also feed on the seeds of other coniferous trees and beech trees. They also kill and eat all kinds of larvae, slugs and other invertebrates and even mouses and lizards. Even though they used to be hunted by humans because of their precious meat, the nutcrackers are not skittish nor afraid of people. The birds have learned to eat the human leftovers, which are notoriously left by the tourists in popular sites such as the Eye of the Sea (pl Morskie oko). In fact, they actually ask the tourists for the food or even try to snatch it from them. Unfortunately, the human food is not what the nutcrackers are supposed to feed on and the French fries buried in the ground do not sprout new Swiss pine trees.

The nutcrackers breed only once a year and they lay only a few eggs, which is why they have to take special care of their offspring to survive. Their nests are usually made on spruce trees during early spring. The females lay two to four eggs in March and sometimes in April so they have a lot of time to raise their hatchlings. During incubation of the eggs the male nutcrackers take care of their females or temporarily sit on the eggs in their stead. After the young birds leave their nests they are still fed by their parents for some time. The new generation of the nutcrackers becomes independent when the seeds of the Swiss pine trees and hazelnuts ripe.

Raven (pl kruk)

There is a Polish saying that goes kruk krukowi oka nie wykole. Basically it means dog does not eat dog, but with ravens, which, unfortunately, is not truth, as on some occasions the birds attack the nests of other ravens and eat their eggs and hatchlings.

The male ravens are bigger than females (unlike the male eagles or buzzards). Young ravens travel in flocks, looking for their ‘other halves’ and territories suitable for nesting. After the ravens pair they stay together for the rest of their lives. They usually mate in February and after that they build very solid nests, which they use for many years. The nests are made with sticks, they resemble stork nests and are padded with soft material. The ravens build their nests high on trees and rock ledges. The female then lays several eggs which hatch after about three weeks. During incubation the males feed their females. During early spring there is a lot of carrion appearing from beneath the melting snow so the ravens have no problems to feed their hatchlings. The young birds mature at the beginning of winter.

The ravens are omnivorous and feed on anything they can find or kill. They eat carrion, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, slugs, insects, seeds, fruits and human leftovers. On the one hand, the birds clean their territory removing all the disease spreading carcasses of dead animals, but on the other hand they used to be mass hunted as they also eat potentially human food. Even though the ravens are only the size of the buzzards they often chase away eagles and ernes. They live for a long time and in a friendly environment they can survive for more than 40 years.

The ravens are exceptionally intelligent. The scientists claim that the ravens may actually be as intelligent as the chimpanzees. They are creative problem solvers, they produce and use tools and can teach each other. During an experiment the ravens would throw rocks into a narrow vessel partially filled with water in order to raise the level of water and reach food floating on the surface. Let’s be honest – Archimedes would be proud. If the carrion is too large or its skin too tough to puncture with their beaks they lead larger animals to it to do the job for them.

Alpine accentor (pl płochacz halny)

The alpine accentor is a species of birds that are slightly bigger than the sparrows and have similar colouring to them, meaning that they are grey-brownish. They are permanent residents of montane zones, where they live in greatest numbers in between the mountaintops and the upper border of the forests. The alpine accentors are not skittish and adjust to presence of people easily. That is why they are often seen in the vicinity of mountain shelters and of Kasprowy Wierch, where they search the ground for food. During winter they stay in Poland and move to slightly friendlier and warmer environment in lower montane zones.

The alpine accentors are often not only seen but also heard in the mountains. During summer the females produce sounds very similar to the birdsong of larks. The alpine accentors can sing both on the ground and in the air.

The alpine accentors lead very complicated family lives. They live in groups of few males and females and it is difficult to distinct specific pairs as a females often have hatchlings of several males in their nests. The nests of the alpine accentors are usually located in rock crevices, but sometimes they build nests in crevices of manmade walls. The nests are always well-hidden and padded with blades of grass, hair and feathers.

During one summer the alpine accentors can breed twice. Their eggs are greenish-blue and are about two centimetres long. The females incubate them for 15 days. A single female lays only few eggs, as it would be difficult to feed more hatchlings in harsh mountain conditions. What’s interesting is that all of the females living in one group help during the incubation of all the eggs.

The alpine accentors feed on seeds of plants, but they also hunt small insects and spiders. Even though they gladly eat tourists’ leftovers too, they shouldn’t be fed by people, as it is harmful to them.

MOUNTAIN MAMMALS: CHAMOIS, GROUNDHOG, EUROPEAN SNOW VOLE, BEAR, LYNX, WOLF, DEER

The chamois is the armorial animal of both Polish and Slovakian National Parks of the Tatra mountains. The chamois that live in the Tatra mountains are actually an endemic subspecies that live only in the Tatras. They are also relicts of the Ice age. Beside the Tatra mountains other subspecies of chamois live in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Balkan mountains and even on the Greek Mount Olympus. Male chamois are sometimes referred to as gemsboks and baby chamois are called kids. The collective noun for a group of chamois is herd.

The chamois are perfectly adapted to living high in the mountains. They are very strong and can leap far. Their hooves work like Vibram shoes or crampons, as their edges are extremely tough while the hooves remain soft in the middle. The hearts of chamois are exceptionally big for their sizes which comes handy in pumping saturated blood to their muscles in cases of sudden and extreme rushes, such like an escape form a predator. What is more, their blood also contains much more red cells than the blood of other animals. The thick fur of chamois effectively protects them from cold, which is why during heat the chamois hide in shaded and cold places or even lie on patches of snow where they are undisturbed by importunate insects. The excellent adaptation of the chamois to harsh and cold climate conditions is the reason why they spread all over Europe during the Ice age.

The heads of both female and male chamois are adorned with beautiful horns that grow throughout the entire life of the chamois. The horns of the males are slightly bigger and more curved. People used to believe that the horns are used by the chamois in climbing steep rock walls.

The chamois are typical herbivores. As all ruminants they chew their food twice so the bacteria living in their digestive tracks could break cellulose into digestible sugars. They eat herbal plants, like wild celery and adenostyles, mountain plants, like doronicus (it used to be believed to cure the fear of heights), mosses, blueberries and small trees. They are especially fond of rowan trees, which grow high in the mountains.

The rut of chamois takes place at turn of fall and winter when the female chamois gather and form herds. The male chamois gather around them and fight each other for the privilege of mating. During the rut the park rangers count them as it is the only time when the chamois gather in one place, which makes the job easier. The park rangers have been counting the chamois that way since the 50s of the 20th century. Nowadays there are about a thousand of those animals on both sides of the Tatra mountains.

The chamois bear their kids at the turn of May and June when it is still very cold high in the mountains. The pregnant chamois finds a suitable mountain valley surrounded with high rocks where it hopes to avoid any predators’ attacks during the labor. The kids lead very dangerous lives from the very moment they are born. They can be attacked by eagles, lynxes, wolves and foxes. They may also be killed by a sudden avalanche, shifting weather and intense snowfalls. The chamois take great care of their kids, protecting them not only from predators, but also from falling.

The chamois used to be heavily killed by people because of their meat, pelts, suet and for hunting trophies. What is more, there are masses of undigested, foreign materials like amber and fur found in the stomachs of the chamois. They are called bezoars and used to be considered medicine, which was another reason for people to hunt chamois. In the second half of the 19th century the chamois were at the brink of extinction, however, fortunately the activists and Tatra mountain enthusiasts managed to place the animal under legal protection in 1868, thus saving the species from dying out.

Groundhog (pl świstak)

The groundhogs are extremely vigilant and energy-saving. The eyes of the groundhog work in a way the periscope does. They are placed on top of their heads so that they can look from their tunnels in the ground without actually coming up. This allows them to assess the threat level without leaving their safehouses. The groundhogs are covered with warm fur and their teeth grow throughout their whole lives. They live in colonies which are sometimes joined by migrating groundhogs from other colonies.

After hibernating through winter the groundhogs come out exhausted in April, often breaking through thick ice caps. Unfortunately, at that time there isn’t a lot of food available and the groundhogs lose one third or even half of their body masses throughout winter. Despite their exhaustion the groundhogs start their rut right after hibernation. They cannot wait, as the young groundhogs, which are born after a month-long pregnancy, need time to mature and fatten-up so they can survive the following winter. The groundhogs are active throughout the whole summer (although summers at such altitude are still quite cold). The groundhogs hunt, but also play and fight with each other. They also watch over their territory and look out for predators. If any appears the ‘guard’ groundhog warns other animals with loud whistle, giving the whole colony enough time to hide in the ground.

The groundhogs thoroughly prepare for winter by digging new burrows or deepening the old ones, which they later carpet with dried grass. At the turn of September and October, when the temperature lowers and the plants lose their nutritional value sleepy, fattened groundhogs seal their burrows to protect themselves from cold and unwanted company, such as predators that are usually very interested in those fat animals. The groundhogs hibernate in groups as the older and fatter ones warm younger specimens with their body heat. During hibernation the groundhogs lower their body temperatures and slow down their heartbeats to conserve more energy. If their body temperatures drops too low the groundhogs wake up for a while to rise it back again.

The groundhogs are hunted by big birds of prey, such as the eagles, and by foxes and other predators living in the subalpine zone and on fells. Of course, the biggest threat to the animals used to be people who were hunting them mostly not for their meat and fur but for their fat, which was used for medicinal purposes. Nowadays, the fat of alpine groundhogs can be legally purchased in a pharmacy, however, in 19th century both the groundhogs and the chamois were at the brink of extinction. They were saved by the protection act of Estates of Galicia om 1868 which regulated the legal protection of the groundhogs and chamois. The act was an initiative of professor Maksymilian Nowicki and father Eugeniusz Janota.

European snow vole (pl nornik śnieżny)

The European snow vole is a rodent living among rocks and debris. In the labyrinth of crevices the voles have no need to dig burrows, instead they bring dried grass to make their nests. The European snow voles can reach the length of 14 centimetres and have relatively gigantic whiskers which can be even 6 centimetres long – it’s almost half of their body lengths. The voles use their whiskers to navigate at nights and in dark places. They mostly nocturnal, although can sometimes be seen on during days lying in the warm sun.

In Poland the European snow voles live only in the Tatra mountains in the upper montane zone and higher. Beside the Tatra mountains the voles live in the mountains of South Europe and Near East.

The European snow voles are herbivores. They feed on flowers, seeds, berries and stems. Thay also stack up supplies for winter. They can live up to 2 years, however, they usually die sooner. One of their natural enemies is the mink, which can easily fit in the crevices populated by the voles. They are also hunted by birds of prey, which try to kill the voles while they look for food in grass on open spaces.

The European snow voles are very effective breeders. The female voles can have even three litters in a year and there can be up to six young voles in each litter. The voles are born 20 – 22 days after the rut and they mature really fast. After few weeks they are already ready to breed.

Bear (pl niedźwiedź)

The bear is the largest animal living in the Tatra mountains. Adult males can weight up to 350 kilograms. The females are smaller and can weight up to 200 kilograms, however, when they are born at the beginning of February the cubs weight only about half a kilogram.

Bears are omnivores. They can feed on plants, but they also hunt a lot. They also eat carrion, especially at early spring when they look for animals such as the chamois that were killed during the winter by avalanches. During early summer they graze on juicy herbs and grasses and at the end of summer they eat sweet fruit and berries, such like raspberries, European blueberries, lingonberries and rowan berries in order to fatten up for the upcoming winter.

The bears spend winters in their lairs from the beginning of December till the end of March. Their hibernation is not as deep as the one of groundhogs but still their body temperature drops to 31 ° of Celsius and their heartbeat drops from 50 to about a dozen beats per minute. During winter the cubs are born. They weigh about half a kilogram and are the size of a big rat. The bears protect and care about their cubs for about 2 years. They defend them against the predators of which the most dangerous ones are actually other bears. Although if you see a bear mom with her cubs you probably shouldn’t stay around to make photos.

Bears are in rut in May and June. At that time the old males sometimes attack females and kill their cubs so that the females would mate again. The bears are very territorial and usually do not tolerate other bears on their territory, which is why young bears often have problems with finding their own grounds. In some cases they have to travel large distances to that end. The most famous is the journey of the bear called Iwo. The famous animal was equipped with GPS locator. In May 2015 Iwo started his journey in the Polish Tatra mountains towards Slovakia. The bear came through Slovakia to Hungary. Then he turned around, passed Slovakia for the second time to finally reach Bieszczady Mountains. In less than four weeks Iwo made almost 400 kilometres.

In the Tatra mountains bear sightings are relatively common, as the territories and routes of the bears often cross touristic and hiking trails. In case of running into a bear one shouldn’t panic but remain calm (which is easier said than done) and slowly retreat. If the bear sees you retreating in a calm manner it will believe that you have no intentions of harming it. People should never try feeding bears nor take pictures of them as it may make them aggressive. Running away is also not a good idea, because the bear will easily catch up with you if it wants to – they can run with the speed of 50 kilometres per hour. Finally, trying to hide on trees or high rocks makes no sense either, as the bears are very good at climbing – probably much better than you are.

As always, the biggest threat to the animal are people. In the history of human-bear relations it is always the bear that was hurt. People used to kill the bears out of fear and to protect their sheep and cows. The bear were also killed for their precious meat, fat and fur. But do people still cause harm to the bears? Unfortunately, yes. We must always remember that all edible garbage left on the hiking trails of the Tatra mountains cause the bears to look for food in close proximity of human residences. Over the course of time the bears get used to it and come closer and closer to the mountain shelters where they are a threat to people. Even a small piece of sandwich, fruit-peel or a candy can change the behaviour of a bear, which is why all the garbage can in the mountains are enclosed with electric fences and the bear that cause the most problems are equipped with GPS locators to monitor their locations. There is also the risk of running into a female bear with its cubs. To avoid it we should remember that it is prohibited to move around the National Park after the sunset (except for winters).

Lynx (pl ryś)

The lynx is the biggest wild cat living in the Tatra mountains. It is the size of a big dog and the females are slightly bigger than the males. As most of Felidae lynxes have retractable claws, which are hidden while they walk and only extend when needed. The claws of the lynx are a very effective weapon and so are its teeth, which are capable of biting through the necks of large animals. The claws of the lynx are also extremely useful during climbing which helps the animal both during hunting and running away from the wolves. Relatively wide paws and spreading digits make it easier for the lynx to move in fresh snow, as it doesn’t sink as low as other animals, such as deer.

Lynxes are not long distance runners. They get tired quickly which is why they do not chase their prey like wolves do but rather ambush them when they are unexpecting. Their vision is excellent and allows the lynxes to see their prey even at nights. The hearing of the lynxes is aided by short, black hair on the tops of their ears. They have relatively short tails with black endings. Longer tails are also useful during climbing, however, the lynxes’ tales are the result of evolution as their ancestors didn’t use to climb trees and lived on the ground.

Lynxes don’t hibernate and are active throughout the whole year. They have ginger, spotted fur which in winters turns grey and thick to protect them from cold. Their fur has three layers and allows them to withstand extreme temperatures.

Lynxes hunt mostly roes, but they can also kill young deer and other, smaller mammals and birds. They also hunt chamois quite often, although it is very difficult for the lynxes to ambush them. Since they are not capable of devouring a whole roe or deer they usually hide the remains from other animals, although in many cases the prey of the lynx is found by other predators and carrion feeders.

Lynxes live alone. They mark their territories with urine, which makes a clear sign for other lynxes that the place is already occupied. Only the females are accompanied by their kittens, which are taught hunting by their mothers. At first the female lynxes kill the prey for their kittens and as the young animals develop they allow them to hunt for themselves. However, the lynxes do not kill all the prey on their territories. In fact, they control the population of their victims to keep them from overpopulating or dying out.

Lynxes require large territories, which is why there is only a few of them in the Tatra National Park. They sometimes have to travel large distances in order to find their own territories or suitable mate. They mate during early spring.

Despite the fact that they are dangerous predators lynxes don’t attack people. They are often attacked by the wolves. In the wild, lynxes live about a dozen years, however, in captivity then can live up to more than twenty years. They are troubled by various diseases, such as the rabies, and by many parasites. The diseases and parasites may be introduced into lynxes’ environments by dogs, which is one of the reasons why the dogs are not allowed in the Tatra National Park.

Wolf (pl wilk)

Wolf is an ancestor of a common dog. They are of similar sizes. Wolves are excellent hunters working in groups. A group of wolves is called a pack and in most cases members of the pack are related. The alfa wolves are usually the parents of the of wolves. Wolves are in rut in February and by the end of April wolf cubs are already born. The female wolf prepares a burrow or a lair where she gives birth to her offspring. There are several cubs in a litter, however, not all of the cubs survive. The cubs are looked after by all the members of the pack, which, beside the parents, also includes the wolves from prior litters. The male feeds the female and the cubs with slightly digested meat which he regurgitates after bringing it to them in his stomach. If the lair is in any kind of danger the wolves grab their cubs in their teeth and move them to safety.

Wolves pair up for the rest of their lives. Young wolves leave their family packs and look for their own territories to form new packs. They are at the top of the food chain so they require large territories. During a night a pack of wolves can cover the distance of more than 50 kilometres. Depending on the kind of prey they hunt the wolves need territories of 150 km to few hundred square kilometres. When they move they often leave only a single set of tracks as the wolves following their leader step precisely on its tracks. It makes it more difficult for their potential enemies to evaluate their numbers.

Wolves mark their territories with urine and feces. Sometimes they also scratch the ground and leave tracks of their paws. They do not bark the way the dogs do, but rather growl, yelp and squeal. They also communicate over large distances by howling, which is heard within a few kilometres. Another means of wolf to wolf communication is their body language. For example, if a wolf shows submission with its body its opponent stops being aggressive. Despite common beliefs, members of a wolf pack do not kill each other, but rather cooperate.

Wolves hunt mostly deer, however, they also kill roes, chamois, wild boars and other animals. A hungry wolf would eat even a common frog. They also kill dogs and cats if they happen to enter their territories. The population of wolves depends of the amount of food available on a given territory. If there’s plenty of food most of the wolves live for a long time and their numbers increase. However, if food is scarce most of the wolves dies young and their population decreases. What is more, the more wolves live on a given territory, the more prone they are to diseases and parasites. Among other diseases, wolves are troubled by rabies and distemper and scabies, which is especially dangerous for them. In many cases the cause of diseases within the wolf population are dogs roaming their territories. It is precisely because of the diseases, parasites and injuries why the wolves live longer in captivity than in the wild.

There hasn’t been an incident od wolves attacking people in years. They have ‘bad reputation’ because of the Little Red Hood story and because they sometimes attack livestock. The fact is that occasionally wolves kill cows and sheep. Since they are under legal protection the damages caused by wolves are covered by the government. In some cases the farm animals are in fact killed by wild dogs but it is the wolves that are blamed.

In past wolves were often killed by people. Nowadays their population is restored, along with the population of their preys.

Deer (pl jeleń)

European deer is one of the biggest animals living in the Tatra mountains. An adult male deer may even weigh more than 400 kilograms. The females are slightly smaller and lighter.

A male deer is called a buck and females are called does. Some people tend to confuse does with roes, but they are separate species. A baby deer is called a fawn and a group of deer may be called a herd, bunch, mob or rangale. The male deers have antlers at the top of their heads. Unlike the horns the antlers are shed each year. After losing its antlers deer grow new ones very quickly. At first the antlers are covered with skin and soft hair, known as the antler velvet. During summer the antlers dry up and they become deer’s weapon, however, they are also very important when the deer is trying to find a suitable mate.

The deer rut is one of the most beautiful views in the wild. The bucks bell loudly which is supposed to sound dangerous and discourage potential rivals from mating. If two bulls of similar sizes meet they spar by pushing and shoving with their antlers. Such sparrings are exhausting and sometimes end up with injuries. The deer rut is a huge attraction for wildlife watchers, as during the time the deer are less timid and do not run away from people. On the other hand, during such events one must be very careful, as the excited and agitated bucks may be dangerous even for people.

Winters are very difficult for deer. There is less food available and the fresh snow makes it more difficult and tiring for deer to move around. Unfortunately, the very conditions that make life difficult for deer make hunting easier for wolves. What is more, during February and March deer shed their antlers, which is makes it even more difficult for them to defend themselves against predators.

The fawns are born in May. For the first few days after birth they lie hidden in grass while their mothers look for food nearby. If you happen to find a cute little deer you shouldn’t touch it and leave the place immediately. The fawn most likely wasn’t abandoned and is watched over by its mother from a safe distance. Once the fawns grow a bit stronger they accompany their mothers. At that time the does may be aggressive towards people and animals (such like dogs) if they come too close. Such a meeting can be very painful.

Deer are hunted mostly by the wolves, however, they are also killed by lynxes. They are often troubled by various diseases and parasites. Of course, deer are hunted not only by animals, but also by people. In the Tatra National Park it is forbidden to hunt any animals or pick up plants. Picking up the shed antlers is not allowed either. Since the deer living in the Tatra National Park haven’t been hurt by people in a few generations they started adjusting to human presence. For many years now herds of does and fawns have been a tourist attraction in Zakopane, nearby the John Paul II roundabout.