The history of hunting customs and traditions, as well as game management, in Hungary is long and rich, forming an essential part of Hungarian culture. By the end of the 20th century, changes had been introduced to the political and social structures, as had been the case in the field of hunting. In Hungary, the right to hunt is an integral part of land ownership. Those who own land that is classified as hunting land are entitled to exercise this right. Furthermore, landowners may lease this right within the boundaries of the hunting area established by the relevant hunting authority. The lease shall be concluded by a lease contract between the parties, namely the landowner and the hunters' association. The Hungarian Parliament enacted Act LV of 1996, which modernised the decree on game protection, game management, and hunting. Furthermore, the act delineates the fundamental elements of a hunting lease contract, yet it lacks sufficient detail regarding the leasing fee. Since 1996, a method for determining the leasing fee for hunting has been lacking. This is despite the fact that there has been a need for such a method for more than 25 years. The current situation is such that the contracting parties and the public authorities are unable to determine the leasing fee for hunting in a realistic manner. This lack of clarity has resulted in disagreements between the contracting parties. Furthermore, the current situation is such that there is no accurate and useable method for determining the leasing fee for hunting. A nationwide data collection has commenced among Hungarian hunting associations, based on a literature review and the methodology. The objective is to determine which factors influence the leasing fees and to what extent. The hedonic price method, which has already proven its worth in previous similar research, has been employed to draw up a multivariate regression equation of national validity. This permits the examination of the situation in all counties, and thus the establishment of whether the leasing fee used in the leasing contract of a particular hunting ground matches its characteristics. The objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive and transparent model for the determination of leasing fees for hunting, based on a synthesis of national and international literature.

Background: The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a migratory bird with a characteristic color, shiny black on the back, dirty white feathers on the belly, rust-red throat, weighing 17–20 g. This species mainly hunts flying insects, catching them in flight and the swallows are constantly hunting in the air between sunrise and sunset. As the food-scarce autumn season approaches, swallows gather in large flocks and when the daytime temperature drops permanently below 15 ºC, they leave for their wintering grounds in Africa. The birds are preparing for the migration, replenishing their body's fat depots. By the time of leaving, thebirds reach a body weight of 22–25 g, which enables them to travel thousands of kilometers. The metabolism of birds is fast, which is especially noticeable in smaller species. Shortterm starvation is already associated with a significant deterioration in nutritional status. Objectives: The carcasses of the swallows that were still alive at the time of capture, but died during transport were examined to identify to cause of sudden death. Materials and Methods: On September 16, 2024, 34 immobile and flightless swallows were delivered to the Clinic of the Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine from the beach in Csopak, Hungary (46° 58′ 10.4″ N, 17° 56′ 13.9″ E). Five randomly selected carcasses of swallows were examined according to the standard pathological methods (dissection, histopathology, special stainings, bacteriological examination, PCR). Results and Discussion: During the dissection the body weight of the swallows delivered to the clinic was 12.0–13.0 g (12.6 g on average) which is around half of the normal bodyweight of these birds before migration. The supplementary examinations were negative for known pathogens and histopathology showed extreme lack of glycogen. According to the weather data from 11th of September 2024, a cyclone with significant cooling and heavy rainfall hit Hungary. The reason behind the death of the swallows was starvation caused by the sudden disappearance of the population of flying insects that could be caught by swallows due to cold and rainy weather. This case draws attention to the dangers of sudden extreme effects of global climate change in the case of some sensitive animal populations.

Abstract: This the first report on the presence of Ehrlichia cf. ewingii in a reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Hungary. The animal started to show apathy and loss of appetite and subsequently died shortly after being placed in an enclosure with dense vegetation, following a quarantine period. During the diagnostic necropsy, a large volume of reddish pericardial and thoracic effusion was observed resembling heartwater disease. Ehrlichia cf. ewingii was detected from the thoracic effusion by PCR and sequencing. The selenium content of multiple organs (liver, kidney, heart and skeletal muscles) were measured, but no increase was found. PCR tests for the detection of adenoviruses from the liver, lungs and spleen were negative. The routine bacteriological culture from the liver did not yield specific results either. To establish a causal relationship between the presence of E. cf. ewingii and the animal's death, further investigations are necessary.

Abstract: In late November 2021, a male serval (Leptailurus serval) which had escaped from an unknown holding facility was observed in the Bükk Mountains of Northern Hungary. A few days were needed to capture the animal with a live trap, after which it was transported to a national Rescue Centre at the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden. The exact origin of the specimen was never identified and apart from being emaciated, it seemed only to be stressed and weakened by the cold weather and starvation. Contrary to the initial fair prognosis, 2.5 days after admittance, the animal rapidly developed pronounced respiratory and central nervous system signs and despite intensive treatment died within a few hours. The subsequent diagnostic investigation revealed that the cause of death was SARS-CoV-2 infection. These diagnostic steps excluded other possible, lethal felid pathogens as causative agents and confirmed that the disease process was attributed to this virus.