Wolves Shun Humans in Polish Forest Study
Camera traps in northern Poland show wolves avoid people, while foxes, badgers and martens use human-shaped habitats more freely.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Wildlife
Scientists tracked large predator habitat use across the Tuchola Forest in northern Poland, an area of about 3,400 square kilometres where wolves have densely repopulated after more than a century of absence. Their camera-trap data shows wolves initially settle in areas farthest from human settlements.
Why it matters
The findings suggest road traffic and daytime human activity shape where wolves live at the landscape level, while prey availability guides their choices at smaller scales. Understanding these patterns can inform how carnivores and people share changing landscapes.
Researchers used systematically positioned camera traps across the 3,400-square-kilometre Tuchola Forest to record habitat use by wolves, foxes, badgers and martens. The data was analysed at both landscape and smaller spatial scales, though the study does not report total wolf numbers.
The players
MRI PAS
The Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, based in Białowieża, Poland, is a research institution studying mammal ecology and conservation.
EBD-CSIC
The Estación Biológica de Doñana of the Spanish National Research Council, based in Seville, Spain, is a leading institute for biodiversity and ecology research.
Leibniz-IZW
The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, based in Berlin, Germany, conducts research on wildlife biology and conservation.
The details
Wolves avoid humans as much as possible, using human-modified landscapes mainly at night or when human risk is lowest. Foxes, badgers and martens make opportunistic use of these areas and occupy a niche similar to free-roaming domestic cats, with little evidence that wolves or humans affect their populations.
Timeline
Wolves returned to the Tuchola Forest after more than a century of absence and have since densely repopulated it.
Wolves use human-modified areas primarily at night or during times of lowest human risk.
Wildlife Context
As wolves recolonise Central European forests after more than a century of absence, the Tuchola Forest study shows their habitat choices are shaped first by distance from settlements and road traffic. The results add detail to how a returning apex predator fits into human-modified landscapes.
For people living near forests where wolves are returning, the study suggests wolves tend to avoid areas with heavy human presence and daytime activity. Those sharing land with wolves may encounter them most often at night or in quieter, less-trafficked areas.
The takeaway
Wolves in this Polish study favoured areas away from people and roads, a pattern that can guide how communities think about coexisting with returning predators. Human activity appears to matter more than prey availability at the broadest scale of the landscape.
Further reading
For more on how animals adapt to shared landscapes, explore our Wildlife coverage.
