The 12th Baltic Teriological Conference Baltic Mammals in the Turbulence of Anthropogenic Tensions, organized by the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", took place from 27 to 29 March 2025 at the Environmental Education Centre of Jaundome Manor, Ezernieki Parish, Krāslava Region. The event brought together 70 scientists and nature enthusiasts from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, and Slovenia to present their latest research and exchange knowledge and experience.
Conference presentations covered a wide range of topics in teriology, including mammalian ecology, molecular research methods, human-wildlife conflicts, mammalian diseases and parasites. Discussions also addressed several current issues: the study and management of large carnivore populations, the status of African swine fever-affected wild boar populations, and the impact of wind farms on bats and large wild mammals.
Researchers from the LSFRI "Silava" delivered the following presentations:
- Guna Bagrade: Brown bears in Latvia – How long is the road to favourable conservation status?
- Gundega Done: Monitoring of deer damage to young pine, spruce, and aspen stands (2018–2023): Data overview;
- Gundega Done: Can the presence and structure of undergrowth affect the risk of deer damage to young pines?
- Jānis Ozoliņš: Wanted dead or alive – Wild boar (Sus scrofa) control challenges concerning African swine fever outbreak in Latvia;
- Jurģis Šuba: Time series of grey wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) Latvian sub-populations exhibit consistency with intraspecific contest competition models;
- Agrita Žunna: What can we learn from genetic material obtained from hunted grey wolves in Latvia?
Poster session presentations:
- Aivars Ornicāns: Monitoring of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Latvia: Occurrence, distribution, and population trends;
- Meta Milda Ruņģe: Non-invasive genetic analysis of the Latvian brown bear population.
The 12th Baltic Teriological Conference was supported by the Latvian Academy of Sciences and the Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.
The Baltic Teriology Conference has been held since 1990 and is hosted by one of the Baltic States every three years.