Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo is a small country in south eastern Europe, mostly known for a war that was fought there. Yet it is a beautiful country and has much to offer people visiting. One side of this is the wildlife

One of the smallest countries Europe, the Dirac mountains are also found here. Lying at the bottom of the Dirac Alps there is plenty of wild space in this little country.

There is a stable population of wolves in the country, which is numbered at around 500. They are hunted for trophies but it is unclear if this is currently sustainable. 

There are currently thought to be just 60-120 Balkan lynx spread across a large area(about 5 countries). 

There are thought to be no more than 100 bears in the country, which is not many. However it is a small country, and these bears are not isolated from populations in surrounding countries.

Golden Jackels are found in the northern half of the country.

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Montenegro

Montenegro

Montenegro is the 39th largest country in Europe (so not huge) and was also part of Yugoslavia. This means that there has been a great deal of change over the last few years. Montenegro lies at the far end of the Dinirac alps, and more than 2/3 of the country is considered mountainous.

Wolves are not a protected animal in the country and are numbered 200-300 Wolf hunting is therefore not prohibited but is not currently organized in such a way as to drive the animal to local extinction.

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There are currently thought to be just 60-120 Balkan lynx spread across a large area(about 5 countries).  It is not thought that there are any Eurasian lynxThe bear population is small, numbering 50-100. Golden jackals can also be seen in various parts of the country.

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Croatia

Croatia

Croatia is a narrow country for most of its length, though wider at the top. about 25% of the country is considered mountains with a further 17% making up the lower slopes. As such, this country has retained an interesting range of wildlife. It is highly popular for beach holidays (as well as things such as stag do’s) but usually in just an hour or two you can be in the high mountains.

We had a wonderful time in this area, and encountered bears on 4 occasions in the week we were in the country. There are a range of national parks. 

Do use the below map to register encounters you have with interesting animals – to help other visitors find where to look.

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Croatia is not a large country (26th in Europe) but due to its narrow shape, it is very quick to get from the wild places to the coast. The fees leveed within the national parks are very reasonable, and we loved our time in the country.

Links to areas to visit will appear below the blog articles on the country

Estonia: looking for wildlife, including Wolves and bears

Estonia is a country that is still incredibly wild, with as much as 75% of its territory still covered in forests and bogs.

 

As a result, despite its relatively small size several hundred wolves roam the country and as many as 500 bears.

 

Indeed, like several other countries in Europe, it can feel like you have stepped back in time when you visit, as it feels far more like western Europe would have done 500 years ago.

 

There is a good tourism sector, with plenty of bear hides and guides. I hope to add plenty of these over the coming years. Add your sightings below.

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Democratic republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa, covering 905,355 square miles. At least 60% of the country is forested, and consists of 85% of the Congo Basin Rainforest. That works out at over half a million square miles of rainforest, and this forest holds an incredible array of wildlife. There are 49 species of primate, including 3 great ape species – Chimpanzee, Eastern Gorilla and Bonobo: this is the only country which hosts Bonobos, and there is a video of the species above.

Both African forest and bush Elephants live within the borders of this country, alongside hippopotamus and a small number of Southern white rhino. The northern white rhino was lost in the last few decades and only 2 now remain, and while they are genetically distinct, having last interbred around 14,000 years ago. While their genes may have changed over those years, it is clear that they are still incredibly similar animals which fill the same hole in the ecosystem. As such, it should not be a danger to introduce Southern white rhinos into former Northern white rhino range – so long as the poaching threat is no longer there and the rhino stand a reasonable chance of thriving in their former home.

5 cats call the DRC home, including Lion (The west African subspecies, essentially the same as the Asiatic lion) Leopard Serval Caracal and African golden cat. There are a wide array of genets alongside several civets and at least 8 species of mongoose. Side striped jackals live here, and while there used to be wild dog, they are either close to local extinction or have already gone.

Many of the country has not been fully explored, and there are probably quite a few mammal species or sub species hidden deep in the forest.

Below is a sightings map for the DRC. If you live in the country or work in conservation, our aim is to develop a usefully large data set of where wild animals live across the world. As these start to be used, we will adjust what can be seen without logging in.

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