NATURE & WILDLIFE
WATCHING FOR WILDLIFE
Forest s
It seems as if every village on the mainland has a plane tree shading
its central square, however the lush forests that once covered ancient
Greece are increasingly rare. Having been decimated by thousands of
years of clearing for grazing, boat building and housing, they’ve more
recently suff ered from severe forest fi res (see the boxed text, Green
Issues). Northern Greece is the only region that has retained signifi -
cant areas of native forest and here you can experience mountainsides
covered with dense thickets of hop hornbeam(Ostrya carpinifolia),
noted for its lavish display of white-clustered fl owers. Another com-
mon species is the Cyprus plane(Platanus orientalis insularis), which
thrives wherever there is ample water.Watching for Wildlife
On The Ground
In areas widely inhabited by humans, you are unlikely to spot any wild
animals other than the odd fox, weasel, hare or rabbit scurrying out of
your way. The more remote mountains of northern Greece continue to
support a wide range of wildlife, including wild dogs and shepherds’
dogs with bad attitudes which often roam the higher pastures on graz-
ing mountains and should be given a wide berth if encountered.
The brown bear, Europe’s largest land mammal, still manages to
survive in very small numbers in the Pindos Mountains, the Peristeri
Range that rises above the Prespa Lakes, and in the mountains that lie
along the Bulgarian border. If you want to see a bear in Greece nowa-
days you’re better off heading for the Arcturos Bear Sanctuary (www.
arcturos.gr) in the village of Nymfeo in Macedonia as it’s extremely
rare to see one in the wild.
The grey wolf, which is protected under the European Bern Conven-
tion, is offi cially classifi ed as stable. However, at last count, there were
only an estimated 200 to 300 surviving in the wild and it’s believed
that up to 100 are killed annually by farmers’ indiscriminate (and il-
legal) use of poison baits in retaliation for the occasional marauding
and mauling of their fl ocks. The Greek Government and insurance
companies pay compensation for livestock lost to wolves but it doesn’t
appear to slow the killings. The surviving wolves live in small numbers
in the forests of the Pindos Mountains in Epiros, as well as in the Da-
dia Forest Reserve area. Head to the Wolf Sanctuary (www.arcturos.gr)
near Aetos in Macedonia for a better chance to see one.
The golden jackal is a strong candidate for Greece’s most misunder-
stood mammal. Although its diet is 50% vegetarian (and the other 50%
is made up of carrion, reptiles and small mammals), it has tradition-DON’T BE A BOARGreece’s relationship with its wildlife has not been a happy one. Hunting of wild animals
is a popular activity with Greeks as a means of providing food. This is particularly true
in mountainous regions where the partisanship of hunters is legendary. Despite signs
forbidding hunting, Greek hunters often shoot freely at any potential game. While
this can include rare and endangered species, the main game is often wild boars
which have been around since antiquity. Considered destructive and cunning animals,
the number of wild boars has increased in recent decades, likely due to a lower
number of predators. Many argue that hunting is an important means of culling them.
There is also an increasing number of wild boar breeding farms and you will fi nd
boar on many menus.Nature
Conserva-
tion» (^) Pelicans and
pygmy cormorants
(www.spp.gr)
» (^) Birdlife (www
.ornithologiki.gr)
» (^) Wildflowers
(www.greekmoun
tainflora.info)
» (^) Sea turtles
(www.archelon.gr)
» (^) Going green
(www.cleanup
greece.org.gr)