This article is a comprehensive translation from the original Spanish document, “Manuales de buenas prácticas del proyecto PirosLife: La recuperación de grandes carnívoros,” which reflects conservation efforts and data up to 2020.
The Piros life project website that ran from 2014 to 2018 is here.
The document explores the critical role of large carnivores in maintaining ecological balance and the significant initiatives in Spain aimed at conserving and restoring populations of wolves, bears, and lynxes. Through detailed analysis of habitat preservation, conflict mitigation, and successful reintroduction projects, this translation offers valuable insights into the ongoing challenges and opportunities in large carnivore conservation.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!
In the midst of discussions about the protection of wolves in Spain, the country’s acting head of agriculture, fisheries, and food, Luis Planas, has asserted that Spain already possesses mechanisms to ensure the wolf’s protection. This comes in response to the European Commission’s consideration of potentially reducing the level of protection for this species. So, what are Spain’s wolf protection measures and the European Commission’s perspective?
Spain’s Comprehensive Wolf Management Plan
During a press conference held after the informal Council of European Agriculture Ministers in Córdoba, Planas emphasized Spain’s comprehensive wolf management plan. Within this framework, the nation has established flexible mechanisms and legal instruments.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!
The roe deer holds a special place in the Guadarrama National Park, not only for its beauty but also because it serves as a valuable indicator of human activities within the area. It is a living testament to the history of Guadarrama itself. There have been traces of this species dating back to the Middle and Upper Pleistocene in Pinilla del Valle, showcasing its presence in this region even during crucial Pleistocene refuges in the Sierra, which played a pivotal role in the species’ recovery after glacial periods.
During the 17th century, roe deer populations across Europe suffered a significant decline due to deforestation, livestock farming, and intensive hunting. In the early 19th century, Graells was still hunting them throughout the Sierra de Guadarrama. (Mariano de la Paz Graells, a Spanish naturalist and biologist who lived during the 19th century. He was known for his contributions to the field of natural history and was involved in the study of various aspects of Spain’s flora and fauna during his time.)
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!
Status: Regional Hunting reserve. With its definitive protection status yet to be determined. In recent years, there has been a debate over the proposal to declare this mountain range a natural park, a measure that has been opposed by the residents of the municipalities affected, as they consider it detrimental to their economic interests.
Area: The Sierra de la Culebra covers an approximate total area of 70,000 hectares, of which 61,305 hectares have been designated as a Site of Community Importance (LIC), and 67,340 hectares were declared a national hunting reserve in 1973, later converted into a regional hunting reserve since 1996. It is also part of the “Plan de Espacios Naturales Protegidos de Castilla y León” and is part of the Meseta Ibérica biosphere reserve.
Nearby towns and villages:Pedralba de la Pradería, Puebla de Sanabria, Ferreras de Abajo, Ferreras de Arriba, Ferreruela, Tábara, Manzanal de Arriba, Otero de Bodas, Villardeciervos, Figueruela de Arriba, Mahíde, Riofrío de Aliste
Introduction to the Sierra de Culebra
The Sierra de la Culebra is a Spanish mountain range located in the northwest of the province of Zamora and the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It’s main value lies in the large population of Iberian wolf with the highest concentration in Spain. Populations of red deer, roe deer and wild boar are also very significant.
The name of this mountain range is thought to have been inspired by its undulating contours, which bear a resemblance to a snake, hence its name “Sierra de Culebra” (Snake Mountain Range). However, another theory suggests that the name could have stemmed from the historical presence of snake species, including the smooth snake, the horn-nosed viper, and the whip snake.
The area continues across the border and is included in the Portuguese Natural Park of Montesinhos. Its small elevations range from 800 to 1,200 meters in height. Reforestation pine is dominant in the mountains, although native forest masses of oak, Spanish oak, and chestnut are also present. In the scrublands, heather and rockrose are the dominant plants.
The area has also become famous as a starlight destination. The Starlight Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2009 to promote the protection of the night sky and the development of “astrotourism” and there is an ever growing list of starlight destinations in Spain to visit.
The Sierra de Culebra: A land of wolves.
This mountain range is internationally renowned for being home to one of the most precious faunal treasures and a symbol of conservation efforts—the Iberian wolf. Its vast expanse allows for days of exploration through wide, untouched natural spaces, far from human presence. It stands as one of the premier destinations in Spain for wolf observation.
The best place to see wolves in Spain is in the rolling hills of the Sierra de la Culebra.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!
