site.btaFallow Deer Released in Sakar Area in Effort to Restore Population

Efforts to restore the population of European fallow deer have began in the area of Sakar. Twenty-six individuals were released in the wild in early November, and at least 30 more will be spread across the area, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) said.

The deer are provided by the BSPB and the care for them in the first post-release months will be provided by the Sokol Hunting and Fishing Association in Harmanli (Southeastern Bulgaria). The animals' movement will be tracked with transmitters and camera traps.

The restoration of the fallow deer population is part of the BSPB's efforts in partnership with hunting organizations, Southeastern State Forestry Enterprise, and Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation to restore the natural ecosystems in the area of the Green Belt from the Eastern Rhodopes to the Sakar and Strandzha mountains. By foraging on vegetation, the deer play a key role in the maintenance of open habitats, which is of huge significance for biodiversity conservation. Deer are also an important part of the food chain.

The activities to restore the population of European fallow dear in Sakar are carried out with the financial support of the European Wildlife Comeback Fund and the Endangered Landscapes Programme.

At the start of this year, 96 fallow deer were released into the Rhodope Mountains, Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation reported then. In the last ten years, more than 600 fallow deer have been relocated in the Eastern Rhodopes, and  another few hundreds animals are expected to be released to help advance nature recovery in the Rhodope Mountains.