Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Long-distance dispersal of wolves in the Dauria ecoregion

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Mammal Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using remote tracking (GPS+GSM module) we documented long-distance natal dispersals of two yearling wolves (Canis lupus) from The Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, Russia. From the arithmetic center of natal home ranges the collared male and female traveled the straight-line natal dispersal distance of 280 km and 332.8 km, over 82 days and 34 days, respectively. Minimum distances of the entire tracking period were 3090.7 km (male) and 2056.7 km (female); the estimated actual travel distance of the entire tracking period was 9849 km and 4530 km, respectively. The travel speed of the wolves varied between phases (pre-dispersal, dispersal, and post-dispersal) and movement patterns (directional, nondirectional, and cluster). The mean travel speed of both wolves was the highest during dispersing (34.6 and 39.5 km/day), calculated as a minimum distance. It was one of the highest dispersal speeds among reported. The highest hourly mean travel speed was during pre-dispersing at dawn, moving directly (the male, 5.77 ± 4.25 km/h; the female, 4.09 ± 2.44 km/h). During pre-dispersing forays they returned several times to their home territories. During dispersal, yearlings crossed at least 5 territories of other packs. Wolves explored the steppe and forest-steppe in less modified habitats of the Russian part of the Dauria ecoregion and in the human-dominated Chinese part of the ecoregion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and material

The data that support the findings of this study are available from The Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of the Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve.

References

  • Andersen LW, HarmsV CR, Czarnomska SD, Fabbri E, Jędrzejewska B, Kluth G, Madsen AB, Nowak C, Pertoldi C, Randi E, Reinhardt I, Stronen AV (2015) Long-distance dispersal of a wolf, Canis lupus, in north western Europe. Mamm Res 60:163–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-015-0228-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco JC, Cortes Y (2007) Dispersal patterns, social structure and mortality of wolves living in agricultural habitats in Spain. J Zool 273:114–124. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00305.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd DK, Pleischer DH (1999) Characteristics of dispersal in a colonizing wolf population in the central Rocky Mountains. J Wildl Manag 63:1094–1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne ME, Webster SC, Lance SL, Love CN, Hinton TG, Shamovich D, Beasley JC (2018) Evidence of long-distance dispersal of a gray wolf from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Eur J Wildl Res 64:39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-018-1201-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chavez AS, Gese EM (2006) Landscape use and movements of wolves in relation to livestock in a Wildland-agriculture matrix. J Wildl Manag 70(4):1079–1086. https://doi.org/10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[1079:LUAMOW]2.0.CO;2

  • Ciucci P, Boitani L, Francisci F, Andreoli G (1997) Home range, activity and movements of a wolf pack in Central Italy. J Zool 243(4):803–819. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb01977.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciucci P, Reggioni W, Maiorano L, Boitani L (2009) Long-distance dispersal of a rescued wolf from the northern Apennines to the Western Alps. J Wildl Manag 73:1300–1306. https://doi.org/10.2193/2008-510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dou HS, Zhang HH, Wu MR, Gui MQ eds (2014) Wolf Predation on Livestock around the Dalai Lake National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia. Proceedings of the International Conference for the 20th anniversary of China-Mongolia-Russia Daurian International Protected Area; 25–27 June 2014, Chita, Russia. WCS

  • Duan XN, Chu WW, Wang Y, Du CC, He L, Chu HJ (2016) The largest gray wolf (Canis lupus) home ranges in the world may exist in the mount Kalamaili ungulate nature reserve, Xinjiang, China. Acta Theriologica Sin 36(4):452–458. https://doi.org/10.16829/j.slxb.201604010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller TK, Mech LD, Cochrane JF (2003) Wolf population dynamics. In: Mech LD, Boitani L (eds) Wolves: behavior, ecology, and conservation. Chicago University Press, Chicago, pp 161–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Gable T, Homkes A, Windels S, Bump J (2019) Is there a mechanism that causes wolves from same area to disperse long-distances in same direction? Can Wildlif Biol Manag 8:62–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Gese EM, Mech LD (1991) Dispersal of wolves in northeastern Minnesota, 1969–1989. Can J Zool 69:2946–2955

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gipson PS, Warren BB, Ronald MN, Mech LD (2000) Accuracy and precision of estimating age of gray wolves by tooth wear. J Wildl Manag 64(3):752–758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood PJ (1980) Mating systems, philopatry, and dispersal in birds and mammals. Anim Behav 28:1140–1162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez M, Bangs E, Boyd D et al (2017) Wolf dispersal in the rocky mountains, western United States: 1993-2008: wolf dispersal in the northern Rocky Mountains. J Wildl Manag 81:581–592. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joly K, Gurarie E, Sorum MS, Kaczensky P, Cameron MD, Jakes AF, Borg BL, Nandintsetseg D, Hopcraft JGC, Buuveibaatar B, Jones PF, Mueller T, Walzer C, Olson KA, Payne JC, Yadamsuren A, Hebblewhite M (2019) Longest terrestrial migrations and movements around the world. Sci Rep 9:15333. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51884-5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kaczensky P, Enkhsaikhan N, Ganbaatar O, Walzer C (2008) The great Gobi B strictly protected area in Mongolia - refuge or sink for wolves Canis lupus in the Gobi? Wildl Biol 14:444–456. https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396-14.4.444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirilyuk O, Kirilyuk V, Maksakovsky N, Kobyakova S, Goroshko O, Tkachuk T, Butorin A, Namkhai A, Urtnasan N, Tseveenmyadag N, Oyungerel B, Dashdorj K, Khapp HD, Golde A (2013) Landscapes of Dauria. Potential Serial Transnational World Heritage Property (The Russian Federation and Mongolia), Annie, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirilyuk VE, Kirilyuk AV, Minaev AN (2019) Wolf’s home range and movements in Daurian steppe. Nature conservation research. Заповедная наука 4(4):91–105. https://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2019.068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kojola I, Aspi J, Hakala A, Heikkinen S, Ilmoni C, Ronkainen S (2006) Dispersal in an expanding wolf population in Finland. J Mammal 87:281–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linnell JDC, Broseth H, Solberg EJ, Brainerd SM (2005) The origins of southern Scandinavian wolf Canis lupus population: potential for natural immigration in relation to dispersal distances, geography and Baltic ice. Wildl Biol 11:383–391. https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2005)11[383:TOOTSS]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mech LD (1977) Productivity, mortality and population trends of wolves in northeastern Minnesota. J Mammal 58:559–574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mech LD, Boitani L (2003) Wolf social ecology. In: Mech LD, Boitani L (eds) Wolves: behavior, ecology, and conservation. Chicago University Press, Chicago, pp 1–34

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mech LD, Cluff HD (2011) Movements of wolves at the northern extreme of the Species' range, including during four months of darkness. PLoS One 6(10):e25328. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mech LD, Adams LG, Meier TJ, Burch JW, Dale BD (1998) The wolves of Denali. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • Melnik KS, Hernandez-Blanco JA, Litvinova EM, Chistopolova MD, Ogurtsov SV, Poyarkov AD (2007) Biotope selectivity and movement features of wolf Canis lupus (Mammalia, Canidae) within the family home range in Kaluzhskie Zaseki reserve. Bull Moscow Soc Nat 112(6):3–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Messier F (1985) Solitary living and extraterritorial movements of wolves in relation to social status and prey abundance. Can J Zool 63:239–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musiani M, Leonard JA, Cluff HD, Gates CC, Mariani S, Paquet PC, Vila C, Wayne RK (2007) Differentiation of tundra/taiga and boreal coniferous forest wolves: genetics, coat colour, and association with migratory caribou. Mol Ecol 16(19):4149–4170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03458.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suvorov A, Kirienko N (2008) Features of self-regulation in wolf populations of Prienisei Siberia. Bull KrasGAU 6:105–111 URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=12533657

  • Treves A, Martin K, Wiedenhoeft J, Treves A (2009) Dispersal of gray wolves in the Great Lakes region. In: Treves AP et al (eds) Recovery of gray wolves in the Great Lakes region of the United States: an endangered species success story. Springer, NewYork, pp 191–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85952-1_12

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wabakken R, Sand H, Kojola L, Zimmermann B, Arnemo JM, Pedersen HC, Liberg O (2007) Multistage, long-range natal dispersal by global positioning system-collared Scandinavian wolf. J Wildl Manag 71:1631–1634. https://doi.org/10.2193/2006-222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wabakken P, Sand H, Liberg O, Bjarvall A (2001) The recovery, distribution, and population dynamics of wolves in the Scandinavian peninsula, 1978–1998. Can J Zool 79:710–725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walzer C, Kaczensky P, Ganbaatar O, Lengger J, Enkhsaikhan N, Lkhagvasuren D (2007) Captureand anaesthesia of wild Mongolian equids – the Przewalski’s horse (E. ferus przewalskii) and khulan (E. hemionus). Mongolian J Biol Sci 4(1):19–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan BD, Zhang HH, Bao LM, Dou HS (2008) Wolf predation on livestock in Dalai Lake nature reserve Inner Mongolia. Chin J Zool 43(3):81–86

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the rangers of the Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve for the help in collaring the wolves and Brian Milakovsky for correcting English and comments on the manuscript. We thank the editor and reviewers for providing invaluable comments to improve this manuscript. This research was carried out as part of the Research and Management Program of The Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve and in the framework of the PhD Program in the Northeast Forestry University (Harbin, China); procedures of animal capturing and collaring were approved by the scientific council of The Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Hexing Road, 26, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang Province, China

    Anastasia Kirilyuk & Rong Ke

  2. Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, Komsomolskaya st., 76, Nizhniy Tsasuchey, Onosky District, Zabaikalsky Krai, 674480, Russia

    Anastasia Kirilyuk & Vadim E. Kirilyuk

  3. A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninskiy Av., 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia

    Vadim E. Kirilyuk

Authors
  1. Anastasia Kirilyuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vadim E. Kirilyuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rong Ke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Anastasia Kirilyuk and Vadim E. Kirilyuk. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Anastasia Kirilyuk and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rong Ke.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. The scientific council of Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve approved procedures of animal capturing and collaring.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kirilyuk, A., Kirilyuk, V.E. & Ke, R. Long-distance dispersal of wolves in the Dauria ecoregion. Mamm Res 65, 639–646 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-020-00515-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-020-00515-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation