New study on the diet of wolves in Germany

Researchers at the Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics have been developing various genetic methods to answer this question for some time. For this purpose, genetic traces of the prey are searched for in the wolf's excrement. Even after digestion, DNA residues of the consumed food are still present in the feces. Genetic methods are able to examine these traces and determine which animal species they belong to.

The previously available toolbox contained methods that used species-specific markers to search for expected prey species. In contrast, the newly presented method uses universal markers to examine sections in the 12S gene region of the mitochondria that are suitable for detecting all vertebrates. This means that unexpected prey can now also be detected. The method can even be extended to determine which plants are on the wolf's menu.

The initial results already indicate a wide variety of prey. In addition to roe deer as the main prey and the also frequently represented red deer, fallow deer and wild boar, there are also unusual species such as nutria and voles. These results demonstrate the high adaptability and flexibility of wolves in terms of their diet.

Based on these initial results, the diet of wolves in Germany is now to be investigated in detail. This will involve intensive monitoring in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt and an extensive, Germany-wide inventory.

Link to the publication