Over the last two decades, Dalmatian pelicans have staged a remarkable comeback in Montenegro’s Lake Skadar National Park. As part of the Wilder Parks initiative, Rewilding Europe and a coalition of partners are now building on this success, stepping up efforts to restore natural processes, strengthen wildlife populations, and create new opportunities for local communities.
A strong foundation for rewilding
Located on the border between Montenegro and Albania, Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans and one of Europe’s most important freshwater ecosystems. Last year, Lake Skadar National Park became one of ten protected areas selected as Wilder Parks frontrunners — a group of pioneering parks working with Rewilding Europe to demonstrate how rewilding can complement traditional protected area management. By restoring natural processes and allowing nature to shape landscapes more freely, the initiative aims to help Europe’s protected areas become wilder and more resilient places that help nature and people thrive together.
The remarkable recovery of the park’s iconic Dalmatian pelican population over the last two decades provides a powerful example of what long-term protection and effective conservation can achieve — and a strong foundation on which to amplify rewilding efforts in and around the lake, based on collaboration between Rewilding Europe, the Agency of Montenegro National Parks, and local partners.
A unique wetland
Just a short drive from Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, Lake Skadar stretches across more than 40,000 hectares, around 80% of which are wetland. Together with Albania’s Shkodra Lake Nature Reserve and the Buna River, it forms a transboundary ecosystem that was recently recognised as a UNESCO Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.
Rich fish populations, extensive reedbeds and floating vegetation support exceptional biodiversity, making Lake Skadar one of Europe’s most important wetlands for birds. Among its most iconic inhabitants is the Dalmatian pelican, which breeds here in one of Europe’s largest colonies. Framed by the snow-capped Albanian mountains and surrounded by rolling hills clothed in Mediterranean vegetation, including the endemic Skadar oak (Quercus robur ssp. scutariensis), the lake is especially spectacular in spring. Carpets of flowering water chestnuts spread across its surface, while Dalmatian pelicans, pygmy cormorants, and countless wading birds fill the skies.
For centuries, Lake Skadar has also sustained local communities through fishing, agriculture, and tourism. Today, however, increasing visitor pressure, illegal fishing, barriers to fish migration, invasive species, and unsustainable development are placing growing pressure on the natural processes that have long sustained the lake’s remarkable diversity.
From vision to action
Rewilding Europe, the Agency of Montenegro National Parks, and local partners will now work together to rewild Lake Skadar and the surrounding area by restoring the natural processes that underpin this extraordinary wetland ecosystem. Priorities include strengthening aquatic food webs, improving conditions for migratory fish, exploring opportunities for the future return of the critically endangered Adriatic sturgeon, and using natural grazing to help control invasive false indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa) around the lake. The partnership will also support the long-term monitoring and protection of the lake’s Dalmatian pelican colony, helping to safeguard its future.
Beyond ecological restoration, Rewilding Europe will support the development of wildlife-watching tourism and other nature-based enterprises, while strengthening anti-poaching measures and building the capacity of park staff and rangers to protect the park’s outstanding biodiversity.
“The greatest achievements in nature conservation are made when communities, institutions, and partners share a common vision: ensuring that wild nature remains a place of life, inspiration, and hope,” says Marinela Djuretic, Director of the Agency of Montenegro National Parks. “Wild nature is not a luxury — it is the foundation of healthy ecosystems, quality of life, and our shared natural heritage.”
A remarkable comeback
Few species better illustrate the value of long-term conservation and rewilding at Lake Skadar than the Dalmatian pelican — a flagship for the park and source of pride for local communities. The park’s pelican population reached an estimated 306 individuals in 2026—the highest number since systematic monitoring began, and a significant increase from around 250 birds the previous year.
Although the species never disappeared from the lake, breeding success collapsed in 2008 when exceptionally high water levels flooded nesting sites and human disturbance further reduced productivity. A turning point came in 2014 with the introduction of targeted conservation measures, including no-disturbance zones marked by buoys and floating nesting platforms designed to cope with fluctuating water levels. These practical interventions have helped transform the colony’s fortunes over the past decade, allowing the population to recover steadily.
Adapting to a changing environment
The pelicans have also demonstrated remarkable resilience. Following an outbreak of avian influenza in 2022 — which resulted in the loss of around 20 birds and no successful breeding — the colony shifted naturally from its traditional nesting site at Pančeva Oka to Moračnik Island in response to changing environmental conditions.
This year’s breeding season brought further challenges as unusually high water levels delayed nesting and caused the loss of some early clutches. Yet once conditions improved, many breeding pairs established new nests, extending the breeding season. By June, monitoring teams had recorded 140 breeding adults and 47 chicks at different stages of development, while 23 young birds had already fledged and three nests remained active.
The colony’s ability to adapt to changing water levels suggests it has moved beyond simple recovery towards a more stable and resilient phase. Continued protection will nevertheless remain essential, particularly by minimising disturbance around Moračnik Island during the breeding season. Rewilding Europe and the park authority are exploring ways to strengthen surveillance and ensure the colony continues to thrive.
Helping Europe’s protected areas become wilder
Lake Skadar National Park is one of ten protected areas participating in Rewilding Europe’s Wilder Parks initiative. By integrating rewilding principles into protected area management, the initiative aims to accelerate nature recovery across Europe while demonstrating how healthier, more resilient ecosystems can also deliver lasting benefits for local people.
As work gathers pace at Lake Skadar, the remarkable recovery of the Dalmatian pelican offers an encouraging glimpse of what is possible when long-term protection is combined with rewilding — revitalising natural processes, amplifying wildlife comeback, and creating thriving landscapes where people and nature can flourish side by side.
