site.btaTen Fallow Deer from Varna Zoo Now Living Free in Eastern Rhodope Mountains

Ten young fallow deer from Varna Zoo are now living free in the Eastern Rhodopes, Varna Municipality said on Tuesday. The animals were released at the end of 2024 in an adaptation area near Chernichino village, Ivaylovgrad Municipality.

The initiative was carried out jointly with Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation. Also involved in the current project is the local hunting association in Ivaylovgrad, which has introduced a ban on deer hunting and will protect them until a stable population has been built.

The partners aim to turn the release of deer into a regular practice, and the programme to cover other protected species.

The animals from Varna Zoo were released into a fenced-off area together with 19 wild fallow deer so as to adapt to the environment and socialize after having been raised by humans. After the adaptation period, they will be left to roam freely.