This Saturday with more than 200 visitors from all over Bulgaria our local team from Rewilding Rhodopes marked the International Vulture Awareness Day.

Bulgaria’s Rewilding Rhodopes team were overjoyed to record the births of four bison calves in May and June this year – the highest number of calves to have been born in a single season since bison were reintroduced to Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains in 2019.

Red and fallow deer populations in Rhodope  rewilding area in Bulgaria are increasing rewarding the team’s rewilding efforts. The Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation have been working for many years to reestablish populations of both fallow and red deer in Bulgaria’s Eastern Rhodope mountains. Introducing small groups of animals over successive years is proving a good way to establish viable red and fallow deer populations. 

In June a herd of 49 fallow deer was released in the Madzharovo Natura 2000 site in the Rhodope Mountains. This is the third group released the rewilding area, now numbering more than 120 animals.

Rewilding Rhodopes team welcomed a newborn bison last week. Both mother and the calf are doing well, with the team monitoring the bison family on a daily basis. At birth, calves are quite small, weighing between 15 and 35 kg.