GPS Collars Enable Better Data Collection on Livno Wild Horses

(Patria) - Livno wild horses should finally get protection.

Currently, there are about a thousand of them in the area, and that number increases every year. Although they are a unique attraction, there are also numerous real problems, and the city and cantonal authorities have finally decided to address this issue.

Namely, work has begun on an expert study aimed at establishing a permanent and systematic framework for protection, which will preserve this unique population, as well as the space they inhabit.

The Livno region is often compared to Mongolia and Iceland because it is the only place in the world with such a large number of wild horses in one location. Thanks to individuals from the Livno private sector, wild horses have become a brand and a global attraction. One of them is Matej Bartulica, who has been investing in this story for six years, attracting tourists from all over the world to Livno.

"Tourism is a story that can sustain a living, not just for what we do with tours, but the entire municipality can benefit. With the arrival of guests, cafes, restaurants, private accommodations, and hotels also operate, so we contribute to the entire community, and I think that's what we should build our future on here," believes Bartulica, a tourism worker at "Eyes of Sturba", Livno.

There are more and more tourists and tourism workers, however, the problem, he says, is that both the wild horses and the area they inhabit are without adequate protection. But these things should finally move forward. Namely, both the relevant cantonal ministry and the city of Livno have initiated activities to put everything within legal frameworks.

In the past few days, the marking of wild horse individuals with GPS collars has begun. This way, precise data is collected on the movement and habitat of the horses, as well as their activities.

This will enable a higher quality analysis of the wild horse population status and the development of guidelines for long-term and sustainable management of this unique population, which is both a great attraction and a problem.

"Besides this tourist attraction, there are real problems. A bigger problem is the wild horses venturing onto roads, as well as their uncontrolled reproduction, where the area will no longer be able to sustain such numbers. There is also livestock farming, forestry, and hunting. We have initiated the preparation of a scientific study that would provide us with data and proposals on how to manage this resource," states Božo Perić, Minister of Agriculture, Water Management, and Forestry of Canton 10.

"Every form of protection is welcome, so ultimately, protection itself would mean a larger number of guests for us, because when you bring guests to an area, when you advertise, the word 'protection' itself contributes much more, primarily for the sake of the horses. We would know the exact population number, the horses would be better cared for, we would know their movements," emphasizes Matej Bartulica.

The preparation of the expert study should be completed by the summer, and it is the first step that will provide a basis for legal long-term management of the wild horse population, as well as the preservation of natural resources and the creation of new opportunities for ecological and rural tourism and sustainable development of the Livno region.