Developing a wildlife corridor

Situated on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, the 145-kilometre long Velebit massif is one of the most biodiverse areas in the Balkans with a range of unique habitats that support species such as the Balkan chamois, red deer, brown bear, wolf, and Eurasian lynx. Supported by a huge growth in coastal tourism over the last 10-15 years, many local inhabitants have moved out of the area towards the coast. As a result, many areas of this beautiful region are now characterised by land abandonment, rural exodus, and fading cultural tradition.

Rewilding Europe is working with local partners to transform these challenges into opportunities. This has seen the acquisition of 30,000 hectares of hunting concessions, situated between two large national parks, together creating a zone of 50,000 hectares. Here rewilding is offering a fresh approach to wildlife management and underpinning the development of a local nature-based economy, creating a wildlife and ecological corridor in the heart of the Velebit mountains.

A new wildlife watching venture saw the construction and opening of five wildlife hides in this reserve. These will benefit the local community through job opportunities and boosted tourism income. They represent the first step in developing the landscape’s vast potential as a sustainable nature tourism destination.

Rewilding forests

In collaboration with the University of Zagreb Faculty of Forestry, the Rewilding Velebit team worked to have the Ramino Korito declared an old-growth beech forest. Ramino Korito is an important ecological hotspot in the growing network of protected forests in the Rewilding Velebit landscape, and its designation will highlight its rarity and biological value. This, in turn, will positively impact the number of visitors and thereby boost the landscape’s nature-based economy.

Open plains grazing

Natural grazing by large herbivores is revitalizing the landscape by creating dynamic, biodiverse mosaic landscapes. On the Lika Plains, a scenic grassland located in the foothills of Velebit Mountains, Rewilding Europe is reintroducing Tauros and semi-wild horses, allowing them to live in social herds without direct human management. Over time, these animals are steadily moving toward self-sufficiency.

The restoration of grazing on the Lika Plains is already transforming the landscape, with the first signs of dynamic mosaic habitats now visible. This resurgence of wild herbivores is not only reshaping the landscape but also playing a vital role in restoring trophic cascades, as carnivores like wolves, bears, and lynx prey upon them.

The Lika Plains showcase the benefits of allowing natural processes to create wild, unmanaged landscapes. As a portion of the site is visible from the highway connecting Zagreb to Croatia’s southern coast, the presence of large herbivores creates a positive synergy between ecological preservation, business opportunities, and tourism interests.