This project was initiated by the Estonian Fund for Nature and was carried out in collaboration with the Latvian and Estonian border guards along the Latvian-Estonian, Estonian-Russian and Latvian-Russian borders. During border patrols in periods of snow cover the border guards recorded lynx and wolf tracks according to a special form. 165 forms were returned, some of which were left blank because tracks were not seen, while a certain proportion recorded the tracks of other animal species (foxes, ungulates etc), registration of which was not the direct aim of the project.

      The large carnivores crossed the border (or moved along it) 114 times, representing a total of 166 animals. It should be noted that such a record of animal tracks does not exclude the possibility that the same individual has been recorded several times, if the animal regularly frequents the border area and crosses the border at various times and places.

     The large carnivores mainly crossed the border at the least populated and frequented places, mainly in areas of forest and raised bog. However, on the eastern border, where tracts of forest are smaller and unevenly distributed, wolf movements were also observed in the vicinity of populated locations.

 The following species composition was observed for border crossings:      

      The largest number of tracks was observed on the border with Russia. Only 26 forms were received for the Latvian-Estonian border (16%).

     The results of the project do not provide support for the idea that mass immigration of large carnivores is taking place across the Latvian-Russian border. Although the figure is somewhat higher than for lynx, the number of wolves entering Latvia is sufficiently small not to cause any concern. Less than 20 wolves arriving in the course of two seasons is not a serious threat.