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Dryad

Data from: Long-term camera trapping reveals emerging density-dependent dynamics in a recovering apex predator

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Sep 30, 2026 version files 43.01 KB

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Abstract

Effective management of recovering large carnivores depends on monitoring systems that are accurate, scalable and cost-efficient. This need is particularly acute in Europe, where rapid wolf recolonization is creating new challenges for management and policy. This dataset contains grey wolf (Canis lupus) detection records from systematic winter camera trap surveys conducted between 2015 and 2023 at 102 fixed sites in the Valais, Western Swiss Alps, during the species' natural recolonization of the region. Wolves progressively recolonized the Valais Alps south of the Rhône River, with wolf detections at 50% of camera sites and group detections at 30%. Population growth indices increased strongly over time: exponential models best described growth of overall trapping rates, while logistic models provided better fits for naïve occupancy and pack-specific trapping rates. Our findings show that wolf recovery has recently shifted from early exponential growth to a more regulated phase of density-dependent dynamics.