European Vertebrate Management Conference

Thank you for joining the 14th European Vertebrate Management Conference

Welcome

Dear Friends, dear Colleagues,

we would like to warmly invite you to attend the 14th European Vertebrate Management Conference (EVMC 2025), which will be organized in Ankaran, Slovenia, between 12th and 16th May 2025.

The conference is a next step in a chain of previous meetings known as EVPMCs, but this time without P (for pest) as there was a general agreement to omit any possible stigmatization of different vertebrate species and, consequently, allow the event to be more inclusive. Even more so than in the past, it will be a platform to present insights into recent findings on vertebrate ecology, ecosystem role/value of different species, hunting, behaviour, intra- and interspecific interactions as well as human-wildlife coexistence, conflicts, and population management. In this respect, the number of emerging topics and new scientific findings that will be presented at the conference is expected to further increase.

The conference will focus on the newest and the most exciting topics covering a wide range of disciplines and taxa including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, lagomorphs, ungulates, mesocarnivores, and large predators. Specific symposia will include the following topics: Ecology, physiology and behaviour; Taxonomy and genetics; Population monitoring and management; (Invasive) alien vertebrates; Crops and urban systems; Health, zoonotic pathogens and parasites; Rodenticide resistance and environmental monitoring; New tools and methods; and Human-animal conflicts and Social dimension.

During the conference, the broad international community of scientists and experts in vertebrate ecology, conservation and management will have opportunity to share own experience and the latest scientific findings, but also to renew friendships and increase collaboration at a global scale.

We hope you will be able to attend EVMC 2025, and that the event will present a memorable experience for you!

See you in Ankaran, Slovenia!

Boštjan Pokorny and Jens Jacob,

on behalf of the Organizing Committee and the International Steering Committee

COMMITTEES

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, SLOVENIA

Faculty of Environmental Protection
Boštjan Pokorny – CHAIR
Lea Komerički Kotnik
Milena Ževart
Samar Al Sayegh Petkovšek
Saša Zagode Burič
Zarja Platovšek

University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
Elena Bužan
Alenka Babič
Lan Zirkelbach
Luka Duniš

University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty
Hubert Potočnik
Ivan Kos
Klemen Jerina

Slovenian Forestry Institute
Katarina Flajšman

The Hunters Association of Slovenia
Alojz Kovšca
Gregor Bolčina
Urša Kmetec

Zavod za gozdove Slovenije
Matija Stergar
Peter Krma

Lovska zveza Koper
Fabio Steffe
Vedran Prodan

INTERNATIONAL STEERING
COMMITTEE

Ann-Charlotte Heiberg, Denmark
Emil Tkadlec, Czech Republic
Emiliano Mori, Italy
Etienne Benoit, France
Giovanna Massei, UK
Goran Jokic, Serbia
Graham Smith, UK
Herwig Leirs, Belgium
Jens Jacob, Germany – CHAIR
Joachim Pelz, Germany
Jordi Figuerola, Spain
Linda Bjedov, Croatia
Marco Zaccaroni, Italy
Otso Huitu, Finland
Philippe Berny, France
Valeria Mazza, Italy
Virginie Lattard, France
Zbigniew Borowski, Poland

SCIENTIFIC INFO

TOPICS

Ecology, physiology and behaviour
Taxonomy and genetics
Population monitoring and management
Human-animal conflicts and social dimension
(Invasive) alien vertebrates
Crop and urban systems
Health, zoonotic pathogens and parasites
Rodenticide resistance and environmental monitoring
New tools and methods

PLENARY SPEAKERS

National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Dracea”, Brasov, Romania

Ancuta Fedorca, PhD in Landscape Genetics, has spent twelve years leading endeavours on conservation genetics and sustainable use of biological diversity. This included multiple international and national research projects focusing on environmental research and enhancing the implementation of genetic diversity in conservation policy. Ancuta is now leading the COST Action GENOA (CA23121) as an extensive network of scientists, practitioners, and decision-makers, aiming to co-create and improve the procedures, methods and data on genetic diversity (indicators) and co-develop tailored dissemination packages to reach out stakeholders to enable a better understanding of genetic diversity information. As an internationally recognized scientist, she has several relevant publications in top scientific journals. Ancuta leads several professional groups, such as the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (European side), and is an active Conservation Genetics Specialist Group member.

Title of plenary talk: Genetic insights for advanced conservation and management of large carnivores

Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway

Atle Mysterud is a professor of ecology at the University of Oslo, Norway. His main recurrent theme of research is foraging ecology, migration, life history and population ecology of large mammals, in particular ungulates. He is interested in how foraging ecology affect life history, and the feedback of life history back on foraging ecology. Another specific theme is how human harvesting affects populations directly through mortality, indirectly by changing behavioural ecology of rut affecting demography, and by selectively removing particular phenotypes. He has worked extensively with climate effects on ecosystems. Atle is working more and more with disease ecology. He studies ticks and tick-borne diseases, in particular Lyme disease, and how incidence of disease is dependent on the vertebrate host community, land use and climate. Chronic wasting disease of cervids and its management is a main current interest, and he is interested in bridging field of veterinary epidemiology with wildlife ecology. Atle has (co)authored more than 300 primary research papers, being cited more than 30,000 times and has an H-index of 88 in Google Scholar. He is elected member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA) and the Royal Norwegian Society of Science and Letters (DKNVS).

Title of plenary talk: Hunting and management of chronic wasting disease in cervids in North America and Europe

Head of the Conservation Genomics Research Unit and Platform for Animal, Environmental and Antique DNA, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, S. Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), S.c.a.r.l. Palermo, Italy

Heidi C. Hauffe (ORCID 0000-0003- 3098-8964) began her research career in 1986 as a field assistant at the Desert Ecological Research Unit studying Namib beetle behaviour, followed by an undergraduate degree in Zoology with Anthropology and a DPhil on the role of chromosome fusions in wild Italian house mice, both at the University of Oxford. She moved (for love!) to Italy in 1993 and held postdoctoral positions at the Universities of York and Pavia, as well as the Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czechia, while raising two children. She founded the first animal conservation genetics laboratory in the Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy, in 1997, i.e. at the Centre for Alpine Ecology, and became a permanent Senior researcher at the Fondazione E. Mach when her laboratory was moved to S. Michele all’Adige in 2009. There, she led the Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology from 2011-2021. She and her group of amazing technicians and researchers at the Conservation Genomics Unit and Platform for Animal, Environmental and Antique DNA are specialized in the analysis of environmental (non-invasive) DNA, working closely with wildlife offices to apply practical conservation genetics and genomics to the management of large carnivores, freshwater fish and hunted species, as well as developing protocols to measure amphibian genetic diversity from water samples, and mammalian diet, gut flora and pathogens from fecal samples, using many of the currently available NGS technologies. Her basic research is currently focussed on the role of microbiota in animal conservation and ecosystem rewilding. Throughout her career, Heidi has tutored PhD students and postdocs from various Italian and international universities, including five MSCA Fellows. She has been team leader and partner in a number of EU-funded projects, including FP6 EDEN, FP7 EDENext, FP7 CONGRESS, EUREGIO MICROVALU and HEU BEPREP, and maintains numerous local, national and international collaborations with universities, museums, parks, and government offices. Although her days are filled with manuscripts, grant writing and administrative problem solving, she still manages to occasionally escape to fieldwork that requires hiking boots, networking over (Italian) coffee, mentoring passionate students, and local outreach events.

Title of plenary talk: Mighty mice and hybridizing hares: what rodents and lagomorphs tell us about chromsomes, conservation and climate change

IREC (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos/National Institute on Wildlide Research), Ciudad Real, Spain

Joaquin Vicente Baños, PhD in Veterinary Sciences, works in the fields of wildlife monitoring and epidemiology and disease control in wildlife, especially focusing on human-wildlife-livestock interface under the One Health (OH) Approach. He is an author of >200 articles in international impact journals, many of these published in the most prestigious of these fields, such as Science, Journal of Animal Ecology, Ecological Indicators, Emerging Infectious Diseases, or Mammal Review. He has recently coordinated 2 European projects, ENETWILD and MammalNet, both funded by the European Food and Safety Authority involving 15 partners. These projects aim at improving wildlife population monitoring at international level, which is the basis for further risks assessment, analysis of determinants of disease emergence at multiple interfaces and early detection, and finally, development and application of policies (e.g., African Swine Fever in Europe). He also coordinated the development of farm biosecurity plans against wildlife in extensive cattle and pig (Spain, Eastern Europe), so as intensive pig production. He co-coordinates the European Observatory of Wildlife (EOW), a network of “observation points” capable to monitor wildlife population and diseases at European level under OH approach. He has participated in 30 projects of competitive national and international research, being the leader on 6. Joaquin has obtained 15 research contracts with public companies and Institutions (e.g., FAO, EuFMD), private ones and four patents. He is also an advisor as hearing expert for EFSA and FAO; (Codex Alimentarius) and at national level for the Ministry de Agriculture. Joaquin Vicente has presented over 200 communications at international conferences. He supervised 12 PhD. He has also guided 25 career projects and Master thesis. He has been an evaluator of research projects for the Spanish National Evaluation Agency (ANEP) and other countries.

Title of plenary talk: Barriers to optimize integrated One Health monitoring including wildlife

Department of Nature Conservation Zoology and Game Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Protection, University of Debrecen, Hungary
 

László Kövér is an Assistant professor at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. He wrote his PhD thesis on crow ecology (hooded crow, Corvus cornix) in urban environment. He studied the expansion of crows in relation to nesting characteristics. Later, due to wing-tag method he could examine the movement pattern and area fidelity of crows. In recent years Laszlo has been focusing different human-wildlife conflicts, especially caused by Corvids. He participates in a working group focusing on the invasive Indian House Crow (Corvus splendens) in Tanzania. Beside different conflicts caused by crows, László is also interested in the conservation side, therefore he made a visitation to the Island of Guam (Rota), where he studied one of the world’s most endangered crow species, the Mariana Crow (Corvus kubaryi).

Title of plenary talk: Human-crow conflicts from Europe to Africa

Department of General Zoology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

Since almost three decades Sabine Begall has been working on the biology of subterranean rodents. She did her PhD on behavioural ecology and population genetics in Chilean coruros whereafter she studied sensory biology (mainly hearing and magnetoreception), reproduction, and animal personality of African mole-rats. Her habilitation thesis covered diverse topics of sensory ecology in mammals. The discovery that dogs orient along magnetic field lines during urination and defecation earned her an Ig Noble Award in 2014. Since then, Sabine refocused on subterranean rodents and recently she teamed up with colleagues from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg) to study how naked and Ansell’s mole-rats avoid skin cancer (even after treatment). She is a Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen and covers a wide range of topics in teaching.

Title of plenary talk: What you always wanted to know about African mole-rats but never dared to ask

Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Science and Research Centre Koper, Slovenia

Boris Kryštufek, PhD in Biological Sciences and Full Professor of Zoology, is Keeper of Mammals at the Slovenian Museum of Natural History (PMS) and Senior Scientist at the Science and Research Centre Koper. He is Visiting Professor at the Zoology Department of the Charles University, Prague. In the past decade, he was a Visiting Professor at the universities in Kyoto, Arak, and Esfahan, and Associate Researcher at the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig in Bonn. His main interest is taxonomy, nomenclature, distribution, variability and conservation status of Palaearctic mammals, primarily rodents and insectivores. He is also interested in natural history collections and the history of natural history. Kryštufek has (co)authored over 200 research papers, over 150 book chapters and 11 books, including ‘Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus’ (3 volumes), ‘Atlas of European Mammals’ and ‘Balkan Biodiversity’. ‘Living with Bears’ was awarded the CIC Literary prize for 2003. He is chief editor of Scopolia (journal of PMS), associate editor of Mammalia, and member of editorial boards of six professional journals. Kryštufek is member of the Steering Group for the Atlas of European Mammals; in the past he served in scientific committees of four European Congresses of Mammalogy and nine International Conferences on Dormice. For the IUCN Red List, he worked on assessment of conservation status of well over 70 species.

Title of plenary talk: Facing permanent taxonomic change

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia

Nikica Šprem is a full professor of wildlife management at the University of Zagreb. His research primarily focuses on ungulate species. Early in his career, he concentrated on wild boar, but more recently, his focus has shifted to mountain ungulates such as chamois, European mouflon, and Barbary sheep. His work covers a wide range of topics, including population genetics, hybridization, ecology, behaviour, and interspecific interactions. Nikica is the (co)author of 95 articles in internationally recognized journals (WOS), many of which have been published in prestigious journals within these research fields. He has also presented over 120 communications at international conferences. Nikica has supervised 10 PhD theses and 26 Master’s theses. He has led several scientific projects, including the ongoing trilateral (Croatia-Switzerland-Slovenia) project within the WEAVE program, titled “Wild boar fear of hunting: Effects on space use, stress, and meat quality.” He is a member of the editorial boards of several international scientific journals, and he actively participates in various Croatian Ministry commissions, such as the National Commission for Brown Bear Management and Wild Cat Management. In 2024, he was elected as an associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences (HAZU). He has received numerous awards, including the Croatian Hunting Association’s gold medal, “Saint Hubert,” for his special contributions to the promotion of wildlife management, as well as the University of Zagreb’s annual award, Praemium Biotechnicum.

Title of plenary talk: Challenges for ungulates in the era of the alpha generation

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

The detailed conference programme is available here. Please note that the schedule may be subject to changes due to organizational or unforeseen circumstances. Each presenter is assigned a 20-minute time slot (15 + 5).

GENERAL INFO

ABOUT SLOVENIA

Norway ‒ land of fjords, Finland ‒ land of lakes, Slovenia ‒ ?

‒ land of diversity in a small area (20.000 square km ‒ 20 x Paris)

 diversity in nature: transitional area between the Alps, Dinaric mountains, Pannonic region and Mediterranean Sea

  diversity in culture: situated along the ancient Amber way, historical overlapping of Roman, German and Slavic culture

  diversity in climate: from Mediterranean to continental and Alpine climate patterns across less than 300 km of air distance

  diversity in cuisine: 3 different wine regions with high quality small wine producers, local food (Slovenian cuisine with influences of Italian, German, Balkan and Hungarian flavours)

– land of forests: almost 60% of the country is covered by forests, mostly traditionally sustainably managed, selective cutting prevails, while clear-cutting is forbidden, forest ecosystems are of high biodiversity value;

– land of large carnivores: brown bear and wolf are historicaly present in Slovenia, lynx was extinct but it has been successfuly reintroduced, as habitat remains suitable. Populations are shared by neighbouring countries, and efforts to reach a common understanding on population level management are in place. Due to Slovenian geographical position, the connection of Alpine and Dinaric populations is a big challenge, mostly because of acceptance of local communities.

– land of origin of fresh water: most Slovenian rivers have their spring in Slovenia (Sava, Soča, Krka, Savinja …), about 80% of waters flow to the Balck Sea and the rest to the Adriatic Sea;

– land of diverse landscapes: astonishing changing of landscape patterns when travelling in Slovenia, responding to climate, geological and relief characteristics. Special landscape elements are hay-racks for drying hay in the Alpine part of Slovenia and a lot of small churches situated in villages and small hills.

– land of karst: About 44% of Slovenia are carbonatic rocks, mostly limestone, where karst phaenomena are well developed. The area between Trieste and Vipava Valley is called Kras and is used international kast terminology together with some expresions for particular karst feature: ponor, dolina, polje. In Slovenia, over 15,000 caves are registered, the deepest being Čehi 2 (1505 m or height of 5 Eiffel towers), 22 are adjusted for tourist visits (Postonjska jama, Škocjanske jame (UNESCO World Heritage);

– subterranean fauna: whereas flora and fauna in Slovenia is rich and diverse due to its basic landscape diversity, the level of endemism is average. But this is not true for karstic subterranean world. Here the number of species living in a world without light is the highest known in the world. These species are highly specialised and living isolated in small, in many cases endemic, populations. The best known is the biggest cave vertebrate Proteus anguinus that was described from Slovenia and is still puzzling scientists. The other one is the cave beetle Leptodirus hohenwartii found in Postonjska jama in 1831. That was the first subterranean animal described and triggered a new brach of biology ‒ spelobiology.

– high level of nature protected areas: protected areas (about 13% of national territory: 1 National Park (Triglav National Park), 4 Regional Parks, 47 Landscape Parks, 1,097 Natural Monuments, 62 Nature Reserves), Natura 2000 covers almost 38% of national territory.

Now you can try to make an image of Slovenia and try to characterise it with one word. I didn’t succeed!

But it’s better to experience Slovenia yourself!

Dr. Peter Skoberne

ABOUT ANKARAN

The small seaside town of Ankaran, with around 3,200 inhabitants, is situated on the Adriatic coast, in the immediate vicinity of the Debeli Rtič Nature Park, famous for its exceptional landscape and natural diversity. The Ankaran peninsula, where the town is located, is characterised by an unspoilt flysch coastline with bays, cliffs, seashell dunes, wetlands and grasslands, among which the Mediterranean salt meadow stands out, the only one of its kind in Slovenia and one of the few on the eastern Adriatic coast.

The 11th-century Benedictine monastery of St Nicholas is located on the conference site, while the preserved villa of the noble Galli family and numerous World War II monuments (bunkers, firing ranges, observation tower) can be admired on the hillside above the town.

The mild Mediterranean climate, the high biodiversity on land and sea, the rich cultural heritage, the proximity to the Slovenian capital (Ljubljana is only an hour’s drive away) and the good cuisine make Ankaran an ideal location for the EVMC 2025.

We look forward to welcoming you to this picturesque place!

Ankaran

CONFERENCE VENUE

Adria Ankaran Hotel & Resort

Jadranska cesta 25, 6280 Ankaran, Slovenia

HOW TO REACH THE VENUE

For transport from the closest airport, you can choose between different options as follows:

Trieste Airport (Trieste, Italy)

Trieste Airport (TRS), in italian “Aeroporto di Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia”, also known by its previous name “Trieste – Ronchi dei Legionari Airport”, is an international airport west of Ronchi dei Legionari (Province of Gorizia), near Trieste in Venezia Giulia, in the north-eastern Italy. Trieste Airport is the ideal gateway to an area where Latin, Germanic and Slavic cultures merge. This merging have given rise to a unique multicultural heritage. The airport is only 55 km from Ankaran and it is the best way to access Ankaran.

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU), in slovenian “Letališče Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana”, also known by its previous name “Brnik Airport”, is the international airport of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Ljubljana Airport has good connections to nearby cities and offers good services. The airport is located 118 km from Ankaran and 25 km from the Ljubljana capital.

Venice Marco Polo Airport (Venice, Italy)

Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) has the best international connections. From there you can reach Venice and the most beautiful Italian cities in the area by train (Trenitalia). It is located 165 km from Ankaran.

Treviso Antonio Canova Airport (Treviso, Italy)

Treviso Airport is located in the Veneto region, west of Treviso and north of Venice. Some airlines use the name “Venice Treviso Airport” and thus emphasize its proximity to Venice. It is 160 km from Ankaran and 40 km from Venice.

For transport between airports and Ankaran you can choose between different options as follows:

GoOpti

GoOpti is a Slovenian company which organizes transports for smaller groups of people between different airports and places in Slovenia. It is the most used way to travel to and from the airports. The prices vary depending on the traveling distance and time frame that you choose (a strict time for pick up or drop off or a wider time). Highest price guarantees you fastest possible transport to the selected destination and the lower allows a bit more flexible time frame, which in practice means you could wait up to a few hours at the airport. You pay in advance, and the day before the transfer you receive SMS with the exact time for pick up and contact information of the driver.
You can book the transfer with GoOpti easily on their booking site which is user-friendly:

Shuttle bus (NOMAGO or FLIXBUS)

Bus lines are connecting airports mostly with bigger cities (Trieste, Ljubljana), but also Koper is accessible with 0-1 stop. The most used companies in this area are NOMAGO and FLIXBUS. You can book the shuttle online and print out your tickets. Shuttle is cheaper than GoOpti, but not so comfortable. From Trieste it might be the easiest way to take a shuttle because it is very close.

ACCOMMODATION

There is a plethora of alternatives for accommodation options in and around the city of Ankaran, ranging from luxury resorts to boutique hotels, room rentals, Airbnb, and more.

However, the Local Organizing Committee recommends Adria Ankaran Hotel & Resort (Conference Venue) where special rates have been guaranteed. Please note that the special rates for conference participants are guaranteed until 28 February 2025. We therefore recommend that you book your accommodation by this date.

Adria Ankaran Hotel & Resort 

Please use the following link for online reservations for Adria Ankaran Hotel & Resort (Conference Venue).

Promo code for conference participants is EVMC2025.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

English will be the official language of the Conference.

IMPORTANT DATES

Registration: from 11 Sep 2024 onward
Early-bird end: 28 Feb 2025
Deadline for payment of fee enabling inclusion of abstracts in the programme: 20 Mar 2025
Start of the conference: 12 May 2025

REGISTRATION FEE

(without excursion and gala dinner)

Participants (early-bird) . . . . . . . 300 EUR
Participants (regular) . . . . . . . 400 EUR
Students, also PhD (early-bird) . . . . . . . 200 EUR
Students, also PhD (regular) . . . . . . . 250 EUR
One-day (all participants) . . . . . . . 100 EUR
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REGISTRATION

Please select type of participation: *
Please select topics where you would like to participate (multiple-choice option) *
Do you have any dietary requirements/restrictions (multiple-choice option)? *

Payments

Registration/reservation payments can be provided by:

– Bank Transfer

Addressed to: Faculty of Environmental Protection
Bank: OTP bank d.d.
Address: Trg mladosti 7, 3320 Velenje, Slovenia
IBAN: SI56 0400 1004 8714 262
BIC-SWIFT: KBMASI2X

PLEASE Write: 317-2025 + Participant Name and Surname

Please, consider that receiving a payment from a non-registered participant doesn’t allow us to issue the regular invoice and consequently isn’t valid until the due registration on our online platform. Therefore, please, to register for the Conference you must make sure to have completed the registration form before making the payment.

If you have any issues or questions regarding the registration, please contact us at evmc@fvo.si

Invoice

Your registration will be effective only after we have received the total amount due by bank transfer, then we will provide the invoice/s.

Cancellation Policy

Returned payments:

  • Full refund for cancellations received before April 14th 2025;
  • 50% refund for cancellations received between April 15th and April 30th 2025;
  • No refunds will be granted after May 1st 2025.

All refunds will be processed starting one month after the Conference.

If you have any issues or questions regarding the payment, please contact us at financevmc@fvo.si

For abstract submission see the Abstract page.

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

Download Book of Abstracts here

SOCIAL EVENTS

Welcome reception

We look forward to welcoming you at the welcome reception on Sunday, May 11th 2025, at 7:30 PM, at the Convent Hotel Adria Resort. Please confirm your attendance at the welcome reception as soon as possible. Reception is free of charge.

Gala dinner

We kindly invite you to the gala dinner on Thursday, May 15th, 2025 at 7:00 PM, at the Convent Hotel Adria Resort. Please confirm your attendance at the gala dinner as soon as possible.

Mid-Conference Excursions

We are delighted to offer you four exclusive mid-conference excursions on May 14th 2025; designed to complete your EVMC 2025 experiences by combining exploration of Slovenia, a land of diversity in a small area, including forests, mountains, large carnivores, origins of fresh water, diverse landscapes, karst, subterranean fauna, sea and a large amount of protected areas. We are pleased to announce that together with our partners have managed to organise excursions free of charge, the only cost for the participant will be lunch and drinks, payable on site.

Important notes:

  • You are invited to select one excursion and complete the excursion registration form as soon as possible to secure your place. The number of participants for each excursion is limited to approximately 50 persons.
  • Dress appropriately for outdoor conditions. We recommend bringing comfortable walking shoes and a waterproof jacket. Additionally, in the case of unusually bad weather, adjustments to the itinerary of all excursions may be necessary to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
  • All excursions include a 1.5-2 hour stop for lunch.
  • All four excursions are full-day. Departure from Ankaran: 9:00 AM.
  • Meeting point: in front of the Convent Hotel.

Excursion options:

Option 1:
THE ŠKOCJAN CAVES

Discover the only monument in Slovenia and the Classical Karst region on UNESCO’s list of natural and cultural world heritage sites and the beautiful nature of Škocjan Caves Regional Park.

Option 2:
MAŠUN

In the heart of the vast Snežnik forests, experience Slovenia as a land of forests and a home to large carnivores.

  • Škocjan Caves are a unique natural phenomenon, the creation of the Reka River. The Reka River springs from below the Snežnik plateau and flows some fifty-five kilometres on the surface. After reaching Karst, that is the limestone surface, the river not only deepens its riverbed through erosion, but also by means of corrosion – it dissolves the limestone. The exceptional volume of the underground canyon is what distinguishes the Škocjan Caves from other caves and makes them one of the most famous underground features in the world.

! Please be aware that visiting the cave includes a 3 km walk and climbing 500 steps.

  • A hike along the Škocjan Education Trail (2 km) allows for a full experience of distinctive features of the Classical Karst and an understanding of the natural phenomena and cultural heritage monuments in the surroundings.
  • Škocjan Village with an ethnological collection and an exhibition devoted to the history of exploring the Škocjan Caves at the Jakopin and Jurjev barns, with characteristic dry walls.

  • The Ecomuseum of the Seasonal lakes of Pivka presents the story of water in the karst world of the Upper Pivka Basin. The area’s unique geological structure, combined with the uneven distribution of precipitation, causes a large fluctuation in the karst groundwater level. As many as seventeen intermittent lakes form in the valley along the high waters.
  • Mašun (1,025 m) is a hamlet (and a road pass) in the north-western part of the Snežnik mountain plateau/massif. It is surrounded by vast forests, which is why it was originally settled mainly by foresters and hunters.
  • Hike along the Mašun Forest Learning Trail (1.7 km), which passes through the most beautiful part of the Mašun forests.
  • Mašun Forest House, where the Slovenian Forest Service has set up a permanent interactive exhibition entitled “Large carnivores and their forests”. An expert will present research and monitoring of large carnivores, as well as measures to improve the status of populations and coexistence opportunities. The rich history of the forests of the Snežnik-Javorniki region and the current sustainable and multi-purpose management of these forests will also be interesting to learn about.
  • Evening Wildlife Observation: As the day will wind down, the excursion will end with an unforgettable experience – observing large vertebrates from high seats, with a chance to observe iconic brown bears in their natural habitats.
  • Please note that the departure from Mašun will be later in the day, with the return to Ankaran expected between 22:00 and 23:00.

Option 3:
BLED AND TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK

Bled is Slovenia’s most iconic alpine destination, renowned for its glacial lake with a picturesque island church, a medieval clifftop castle, and the traditional blejska kremšnita dessert. Situated at the gateway to Triglav National Park, it offers easy access to one of Europe’s oldest national parks, home to exceptional biodiversity and the majestic Julian Alps.

Option 4:
THE SLOVENIAN COAST

You will see that the short Slovenian coast has a rich natural and cultural heritage. The view from the boat over the picturesque town of Piran will amaze you.

  • Bled is an image of paradise, as the most important Slovenian poet France Prešeren wrote. The world-class tourist gem on the edge of the Triglav National Park was among the nominees for the Seven New Wonders of the World. It is characterised by its mild, healing climate and thermal springs of lake water.
  • Lake Bled, of glacial origin, which is 2.12 km long and 0.5 to 1 km wide, has water suitable for swimming in summer. On the lake lies Bled Island with the Church of the Assumption of Mary, which we will reach by traditional Bled boats called pletna.
  • Bled Castle, perched on a rock overlooking the lake, is an iconic veduta with a permanent exhibition.
  • In Triglav Rose Bled Infocentre experts will guide us through the exhibition about Triglav National Park, the only national park in Slovenia. It is named after Triglav, the highest point (2,864 m) at the heart of the park and Slovenia’s highest peak.
  • Pokljuka is a forested high karst plateau in the Julian Alps. It is the largest forested area in the Triglav National Park. It is the ideal place for Park experts to explain wildlife monitoring and management.

  • Sečovlje Salina Nature Park is known for its unique blend of nature and culture, featuring a centuries-old salt-making tradition within a rare saline ecosystem. The park’s wetlands have supported diverse flora and fauna, particularly migratory birds.
  • The saltfish (Cyprinodon fasciatus) is a 5 cm large and transversely striped fish that lives in the salt marshes, and is also the name of the boat that will take us from the salt marshes to Piran.
  • Piran is one of the most beautiful and picturesque medieval towns on the Slovenian coast. The old port town with remnants of a medieval wall is protected as a cultural and historical monument. Narrow streets with closely constructed houses descending from the hill and its church to the central square on the coast only emphasise its Mediterranean character.
  • In the Aquarium Piran, you will find out about the unique underwater world of the Northern Adriatic, which is home to numerous species of organisms, with fish leading in numbers. Many species of sponges, tunicates, cnidarians, and, above all, echinoderms, including various species of starfish, cucumbers, urchins and brittle stars, contribute to the colourfulness’ and variety of the aquariums.

Registration for Social events

Please complete the social events registration form as soon as possible. We kindly ask you to pay for gala dinner in advance. Based on your registration, an invoice will be sent automatically to facilitate the payment process. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, which will allow us to organize social events smoothly.

Please select one option for mid-conference excursions and/or participation in the gala dinner and/or welcome reception
Dietary requirements/restrictions *
Would you like us to send an invoice? *

If the payer is an institution, we also need the following information:

FILM SCREENING

Film screening – Documentary Wild Slovenia

Monday, 12 May 2025, at 21.00, Congress Centre Hall

In the hopes of getting you to learn more about Slovenia’s nature, we invite you to a screening of the documentary film Wild Slovenia. The screening is in English. Come see it!

Wild Slovenia is a Slovenian natural history documentary film about the diversity of Slovenian flora and fauna and the different types of Slovenian landscapes. It is a wonderful documentary journey through the richness of Slovenia’s natural environment, with rarely seen scenes in nature giving the film a special touch. It presents us with five ecosystems: the Alpine world, the Karst underworld, the Adriatic Sea, the forests of the Dinarides and the Pannonian plains, which are home to a great variety of life forms.The documentary features over 50 animal species.

Many biologists, hunters and other conservationists participated in the making of this film.

Matej Vranič is a Slovenian professional photographer and filmmaker. He won the Best Photography of Slovenia competition and was awarded the Slovenian Nature Photographer of the Year in 2017. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous galleries. He has produced a series of wildlife stories for the National Geographic Slovenia magazine. Today, his focus is mainly on wildlife documentaries.

HUNTER’S DINNER

Tuesday, 13 May 2025, at 19.00

Our friends from the Koper Hunting Association will prepare a nice evening with venison goulash in the village of Šmarje above Koprom,

Vegetarians will also be catered to.

Bus departure from Ankaran at 19.00.

Sign up at registration!

NEWS

PARTNERS AND ORGANIZERS

SPONSORS

Invitation for sponsors and exhibitors

EVMC 2025 is a perfect place and opportunity for sponsors and exhibitors to meet and engage with specific and competent international audience in the field of vertebrate management. Sponsors and exhibitors will form an integral part of the event, and the exhibition area will be located within the conference area, i.e. just in front and along the main lecturing hall. Organizers expect 250 to 300 participants coming from all over the Europe, but also from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Pacific countries.

There will be excellent opportunities for all who would like to exhibit either their business or professional achievements and outcomes. Therefore, we would like to encourage you to choose one of the sponsor’s packages that will provide you the maximum visibility before, during, and after 14th EVMC (for details, please open the following link).

We are looking forward to seeing you in Ankaran, Slovenia, in May 2025!

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the sponsors and supporters of EVMC 2025, listed as follows:

CONTACT AND REQUEST

MOBILE APP

14th EVMC 2025″ smartphone app provides you with the most comfortable tool for planning your participation in the 14th European Vertebrate Management Conference.
Browse the complete programme directly from your phone or tablet and create your very own agenda on the fly. The app is available for Android and iOS devices.
To download mobile app, please visit
https://conference4me.psnc.pl/get/?config=evmc2025
or scan the QR code or type ‘evmc2025’ in Google Play or Apple App Store.