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Parks and Protected Areas - The Park’s Wildlife

The animals of the Park of Pollino mostly belong to protected species. The uneven ground gives refuge to the wolf, which has about 30 specimens.

There are also wild cats, weasels, polecats, beech martens, martens, badgers and hedgehogs (rare because of the hunting).

Amongst the fishes there are trouts and carps in the highest parts of the streams. Amongst the amphibious it is not rare to find frogs, newts and salamanders, while amongst the reptiles there is the marsh turtle.

Amongst birds there are mostly birds of prey, such as eagles, that nest on the mountainsides of the Southern Apennine, hawks, goshawks, kites and peregrine falcons.

Apart from the Loricate Pine, the vegetation of this mountain is composed by beeches, silver firs, chestnuts, Austrian pines and limes. The brushwood is also very rich of species worth of attention, such as St John’s Wort, a plant having beautiful yellow flowers and medical effects, yellow carnation, a very rare species in Italy, bird’s foot trefoil and gentian.