Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V.
Cooperation programme Interreg Va Mecklenburg-Vorpommern / Brandenburg / Polen
- ZALF
- WWF-Deutschland
- Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Przyrodnicze
- HU-Berlin
- Stettin
- Ośrodek
- Kultury w Mirosławcu
- Miroslawcu und agrathaer
Aim of the project
Elk and bison once roamed the forests of Europe. Habitat loss, hunting and poaching led to the extinction of the bison in Poland and Germany; few elk were able to survive in the Polish forests. Breeding and reintroduction programs as well as improved protection regulations contributed to the slow recovery of the populations of both species in Poland, which are increasingly finding their way to Germany. Although this is an opportunity for biodiversity, the return of large mammals also poses challenges for humans and animals. These can be found where human interests and the needs of the animals collide.
These include possible damage to agriculture and forestry, collisions in road traffic and human-animal encounters in local recreation and hunting. It is unclear where and how many animals are present in the German-Polish border area and where possible conflict potentials lie due to a lack of cross-border cooperation in management, monitoring and research. Joint knowledge, action and communication structures between the two countries are also still lacking. The initiation and improvement of cross-border wildlife management for bison and elk in the program area, in line with the economic, political and social interests of the region, is therefore the central project objective. agrathaer is responsible for the complete project and financial management for the lead partner and supports the partners in reporting.
