NATURE & WILDLIFEWATCHING FOR WILDLIFEally shouldered much of the blame for attacks on stock and has been
hunted by farmers as a preventative measure. Near the brink of extinc-
tion, it was declared a protected species in 1990 and now survives only
in the Fokida district of central Greece and on the island of Samos.
Greece has an active snake population and in spring and summer
you will inevitably spot these wriggling reptiles on roads and pathways
all over the country. Fortunately the majority are harmless, though the
viper and the coral snake can cause fatalities. Lizards are in abundance
and there is hardly a dry-stone wall without one of these curious crea-
tures clambering around.
The Hellenic Wildlife Hospital (www.ekpazp.gr) is the oldest and
largest wildlife rehabilitation centre in Greece and southern Europe.
In The Air
Birdwatchers have a fi eld day in Greece as the country is on many
north–south migratory paths. Lesvos (Mytilini) in particular draws a
regular following of birders from all over Europe who come to spot
some of more than 279 recorded species that stop off at the island an-
nually. Storks are more visible visitors, arriving in early spring from Af-
rica and returning to the same nests year after year. These are built on
electricity poles, chimney tops and church towers, and can weigh up to
50kg; keep an eye out for them in northern Greece, especially in Thra-
ce in Macedonia. Thrace has the richest colony of fi sh-eating birds in
Europe, including species such as egrets, herons, cormorants and
ibises, as well as the rare Dalmatian pelican – Turkey and Greece are
now the only countries in Europe where this large bird is found. The
GREEN ISSUESEnvironmental awareness is beginning to seep into the fabric of Greece society, leading
to slow but positive change. Environmental education has begun in schools, recycling is
more common in cities, and even in the smallest villages you may fi nd organic and envi-
ronmentally sustainable restaurants and businesses. However, long-standing problems
such as deforestation and soil erosion date back thousands of years. Live cultivation
and goats have been the main culprits, while fi rewood gathering, shipbuilding, housing
and industry have all taken their toll.
Forest fi res are a major problem, with many thousands of hectares destroyed an-
nually, often in some of the most picturesque areas of Greece. The increasing scale of
recent fi res is blamed on rising Mediterranean temperatures and high winds. Massive
fi res on Mt Parnitha and in the Peloponnese in the summer of 2007 destroyed large
tracts of vegetation, as well as entire villages, and changed the face of the landscape.
Many locals argue that the government is ill-prepared and that its attempts to address
the annual fi res are slow.
Illegal development of mainly coastal areas and building in forested or protected
areas has gained momentum in Greece since the 1970s. Despite attempts at introduc-
ing laws and protests by locals and environmental groups, corruption and the lack of an
infrastructure to enforce the laws means little is done to abate the land-grab. The issue
is complicated by population growth and increased urban sprawl. The developments
often put a severe strain on water supplies and endangered wildlife. A few developments
have been torn down in recent years; however in more cases, the illegal buildings have
been legalised, deemed necessary due to social need, whereby demolition would leave
residents with no alternative aff ordable housing.
Global warming is playing havoc with the Greek thermometer and it’s believed that
by the end of the century the average temperature in Athens will rise by 8°C, while some
560 sq km of coastal land will be fl ooded. Areas at greatest risk include the Evros Delta,
Corfu, Crete and Rhodes.