Wolf, bear and lynx: recognising signs, behaving correctly, reporting sightings

Over centuries, large carnivores have learned that people are a danger and generally avoid them. They are mainly active at dusk and at night and cover great distances. Encounters become dangerous almost only in special situations: when an animal is surprised, defends its young or its prey, is used to human food or is harassed by a dog. Knowing their signs lets you avoid exactly these situations.

The wolf is a canid with four toes and claws in the print, about 8 to 11 centimetres long (guide value). It travels very purposefully and economically in a direct-register trot, often straight ahead for kilometres; in a pack the animals step into the same prints. The lynx is a cat: round prints about 6 to 9 centimetres wide (guide value), four toes, usually without claws because it retracts them when walking. The bear walks on its whole sole; its five toes lie almost in a row, with long claws at the front.

Because the animals are rare and legally protected, their spread is closely monitored by specialist bodies. In Germany the DBBW collects data on behalf of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation; in Austria the Österreichzentrum Bär, Wolf, Luchs brings together the information from the federal states. Every well-documented report helps to recognise occurrences and to protect grazing animals in good time.

Good preparation is the most important step. Before the trip, find out whether wolf, bear or lynx have been recorded in the area, charge your phone and memorise the emergency numbers: 112 throughout Europe, in Austria also 144 for the ambulance, 133 for the police and 140 for mountain rescue, in Germany 110 for the police. Bring a dog lead and watch out for livestock guardian dogs on alpine pastures.

On the way, make yourself noticed in terrain with poor visibility, for example by talking, so that animals hear you early and can move away. Leave no food scraps, not at rest spots or huts either. If you find a dead animal, do not go to it: a bear may be guarding its prey nearby. Photograph from a distance, save the coordinates and go back the way you came.

In an encounter: stop, do not run away, do not approach. Talk calmly and clearly so the animal recognises you as a human, and withdraw slowly, keeping the animal in view and leaving it a free escape route. If a wolf stays put or comes closer, make yourself big, speak loudly to it and clap your hands. Simply give a lynx space – it is normally harmless to people.

Never approach, never follow, never lure, never feed – not even for a photo. Fed animals lose their shyness, seek the company of people and become a danger to people and to themselves. If you see bear cubs or wolf pups, a parent animal is very likely nearby; then go back calmly along the way you came at once.

In wolf and bear areas dogs belong on a short lead. Wolves can see a dog as an intruder in their territory, and a dog running free can rouse a bear and lead it back to you. Livestock guardian dogs on pastures guard their herd; give them a wide berth, do not open fences and do not walk through the herd.

Call the emergency number in an attack or if anyone is injured: 112, in Austria also 144, in the mountains 140. If an animal shows no shyness in a settlement or repeatedly approaches people, call the police – 133 in Austria, 110 in Germany. Everything else – tracks, droppings, kills and normal sightings – is not an emergency but a report to the responsible body.

This knowledge makes sense for everyone who hikes in the Alps or in wolf areas, walks with a dog, stays overnight in huts or bivouacs. It helps to avoid encounters, to react calmly and, with a good report, to contribute to the protection of wildlife and grazing animals.

It is not meant for tracking the animals down, luring them or following them for photos – that disturbs the animals, is often prohibited and can be dangerous. Identification also remains a job for experts: whether a large dog-like trail comes from a wolf can often only be settled by genetic analysis. With photo, place and time you provide the basis for that.

A good report contains a photo with a tape measure or a familiar object for scale, date, time, the coordinates from your phone and a short description: what did you see, how many animals, which direction did they go? In Austria reports go to the contact persons of the federal state or the district authority, whose list the Österreichzentrum Bär, Wolf, Luchs provides. In Germany the respective state authority is responsible; the DBBW lists the contacts.

Do not post the exact location of a sighting on social media. It attracts onlookers, disturbs the animals and can endanger them. Bears that appear in Austria usually come from Slovenia or Trentino and pass through individually. Wolves, on the other hand, are spreading in many regions – so guidance and responsibilities change, and the authorities' current information always takes precedence.