Robert Mysłajek stops dead. Between two paw prints on a muddy mountain track, the scientist finds what he is looking for. “Droppings!” he enthuses. Wolf sightings are so rare that the sighting of their faeces marks a good day, even for a seasoned tracker. But it is getting easier. There are now an estimated 1,500 wolves in Poland. The number has doubled in 15 years. Wolves are – along with the brown bear, the lynx and the wolverine – Europe’s last large predator carnivores. Conservationists from Britain, Germany and the Netherlands are beating a path here to find out how the country has saved this protected species, slandered even in fairy tales. Bits of bone and hair protrude from the precious black faeces. “It ate a red deer,” says the University of Warsaw biologist. “In my lab, I can tell you all about this wolf – not only its diet but its gender, sexual habits, age, state of health and family connections.” DNA tests have established that Polish wolves are travellers. “One wolf reached the Netherlands, where unfortunately it was hit by a car. They have a tremendous range. They need space. The average territory required by a Polish pack is 250 sq km,” said Mysłajek. “Is there any prospect of our ever being able to reintroduce wolves to Scotland?” asks student Alex Entwisle, 23, on a field trip to southern Poland from his college in the