Nature » Animated nature » Fauna
Fauna
Mammals
In the area of the Magura National Park we can find 57 species of mammals. The most endangered and requiring a special concern species are Lynx Lynx lynx and Wild cat Felis sylvestris. The latter is under threat of extinction in Poland. The only well-known sites of this species are located in the Carpathians and in the area of the Magura National Park there are two families of Wild Cat. Lynx is also very rare but, apart from the Carpathians, it can be found in the North-eastern part of the country. The number of Lynx in the Park is estimated at about 10 individuals. There are not many Brown Bears Ursus arctos in the Park either. But their situation is quite stable as there are about 100 Bears in the whole area of the Polish Carpathians. Another large Park’s carnivorous mammal is Wolf Canis lupus. Its number in the Park and in the buffer zone does not exceed 20 individuals, yet their average density is quite high and reaches about 10 individuals per 100 sq km.
Pine Martens (phot. Henryk Janowski)
Quite uncharacteristic species for the mountainous region is Elk Alces alces, which is observed in the Beskid Niski Mts. since 1979 and its number is estimated at 10 individuals. Other interesting species are Beaver Castor fiber, River Otter Lutra lutra and Badger Meles meles . There are about 6 families of Beavers and their situation seems to be quite stable. Recently we may observe the increase of its number in the whole area of its appearance in Poland. Similar changes are observed in the population of River Otter. It is believed that it has increased its number several times during last 10 years. Yet, its number in the Park was not estimated. The number of Badgers in the Park is estimated at about 60 individuals.
Very common animals in the Park are Red Deer Cervus elaphus and Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, as well as Pine Marten Martes martes and Red Fox Vulpes vulpes. According to the permanent increase of the number of fox, it may have a great effect on the decreasing of the number of the open country birds (e.g. Corn Crake, Common Quail, Grey Partridge). From the smaller predators in the area of the Park we can find also Beech Marten Martes foina, European Polecat Mustela putorius, Short-tail Weasel Martes erminea and Least Weasel Martes nivalis .
In the area of the Park two species introduced in Europe were found – Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus and Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonides . The presence of these species may pose a risk of changing in the natural functioning of the ecosystems. In the Magura National Park especially the increase in number of Racoon dog may be a threat to some local animals.