Chamois management in Central Serbia with special reference to the Tara National Park

Abstract

This paper presents the status and management of chamois in the region of Central Serbia (cc 56,000 km2) from 2011-2019. Although suitable habitats for this autochthonous species exist across Serbia, specific habitat requirements coupled with poaching and overexploitation in the past reduced both its range and population density. According to the data of the statistical survey on hunting (Form LOV-11, municipal level, www.stat.gov.rs), as well as the database of the Forest Directorate (hunting ground level), a synthetic chamois distribution map was prepared which showed a positive population trend over the study period (2011 - 520 ind., 2019 - 725 ind.). Spontaneous migrations from existing population centers (in the Đerdap National Park and Lazarev Gorge protected area) to new habitats in eastern Serbia, as well as an implemented project of reintroduction on Mt. Stolovi (Municipality of Kraljevo) were mainly responsible for this trend. In the hunting year 2019/20, 68 individuals were planned for culling, of which 70.6% in the “Tara National Park”, and the rest in the eastern part of central Serbia ("Zlotske šume - Crni vrh" managed by PE "Srbijašume" - 26.5%; "Orlovica" managed by the hunting association from Despotovac - 2.9%). The population of chamois in the "Tara National Park" (western part of central Serbia) is especially important for the status of the species. This special purpose hunting ground has a unique natural population, recently (spring 2019) estimated at 380 individuals. From 2011-2019, 198 chamois were culled in this hunting ground (N♂ = 105; N♀ = 93). Their age ranged from 1 to 15 years (mean = 6.6), while trophy values ranged from 21.4 to 103.8 CIC points (mean = 84.4). In order to improve the current population status in Serbia, competent state authorities are planning a series of reintroduction projects in several localities with developed reintroduction baseline plans, primarily in western and southeastern Serbia.