[Regnum] In the Moscow region, wolves are more often encountered in areas bordering other regions, while in the Leningrad region, there's a small chance of encountering a predator anywhere in the region. Biologists Dmitry Safonov and Pavel Glazkov spoke with Regnum News Agency on Saturday, October 17.
According to Safonov, the likelihood of encountering wolves in the Moscow region is higher in the Shatursky, Serpukhov, Dmitrovsky, and Taldomsky districts.
"These are transition zones of sorts, through which wolves from other regions enter the Moscow region. These are large forested areas through which the animals migrate here, to the Moscow region," the biologist noted.
Glazkov emphasized that there are just over 200 wolves in the Leningrad Region—a small number for such a large territory. There's a small chance of encountering a predator anywhere in the region.
"They're a little more common in the east, but they're basically everywhere, in all areas. People often mistake stray large dogs for these predators without looking into it," the expert noted.
According to Glazkov, the likelihood of wolves appearing in populated areas is currently minimal. Before the frost sets in, they are preoccupied with forming packs for successful winter hunting.
"Wolves are nocturnal predators; they enter villages at night. Their primary prey is cats and dogs. In recent years, wolves' appearance in populated areas has been recorded by night-time video cameras. It's not entirely accurate to say they've become more frequent. Video cameras that record wolf visits have become more common. Previously, they'd come in at night, kill cats, and leave—no one would see them," Glazkov explained.
Wolves' visits to populated areas may become more frequent during severe winter frosts. They appear in villages due to food shortages and deep snow cover.
"In winter, the wolf population in the Leningrad Region increases because they migrate here from northern regions: from southern Karelia, and from the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions. But this also requires freezing temperatures and deep snow cover," Glazkov concluded.
Zoologist Alexander Lipkovich previously told Regnum News Agency that if the cold weather is particularly severe this coming winter, wolves will be forced to approach humans more often, leading to an increase in attacks. He added that the wolf population in Russia is three times higher than the optimal number.