site.btaOver 50 Fallow Deer Released into Wild in Eastern Rhodope Mountains

Sofia, April 14 (BTA) - A group of 54 fallow deer were released into the special protected area of Madzharovo in Bulgaria's Eastern Rhodope mountains on Friday, as part of efforts to restore the species population in this area a century after its disappearance, the Rewilding Rhodopes foundation reported.

The Rewilding Rhodopes team specified that prior to their release into the wild, the animals spent some time in an enclosure so that they could gradually adapt to their new habitat. One of the individuals has been equipped with a satellite transmitter to allow the team to monitor movements in real time.

The Rewilding Rhodopes team in cooperation with local hunting associations and the Union of Hunters and Fishermen in Bulgaria have been working for years to re-establishing red and fallow deer populations in the Eastern Rhodopes. The goal is to restore food chains by increasing the number of ungulates that form an important prey base for both carnivores and scavengers. Through their grazing the deer will also increase biodiversity at a local level by helping to create mosaic landscapes.

Over 110 individuals have been released in the Eastern Rhodopes thus far, and the long-term plan is to reintroduce over 300 animals within the framework of a LIFE Vultures project entitled "Conservation of Black and Griffon Vultures in the Rhodope Mountains". This is a project on which Rewilding Europe work in partnership with the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, WWF Greece, the Vulture Conservation Foundation and the Hellenic Ornithological Society.