Lake Skadar National Park
Lake Skadar National Park, which was founded in 1983 and covers around 40,000 hectares in Montenegro, protects the largest lake in the Balkans and one of the region’s most important wetland ecosystems. Around 80% of the park consists of freshwater habitats, wetlands and rivers, supporting rich fish communities, as well as species such as Dalmatian pelicans, otters, and golden jackals. The park also forms part of a transboundary landscape shared with neighbouring Albania.
While the park already retains a strong sense of wildness, its management team sees significant opportunities to enhance ecological integrity through rewilding. Priorities include strengthening food webs, reducing illegal harvesting of wildlife, exploring the return of the critically endangered Adriatic sturgeon, tackling invasive species, and restoring natural grazing processes. Rewilding will also help support the development of wildlife-watching tourism and other nature-based economic opportunities for local communities around the lake.
Lake Skadar National Park, which was founded in 1983 and covers around 40,000 hectares in Montenegro, protects the largest lake in the Balkans and one of the region’s most important wetland ecosystems. Around 80% of the park consists of freshwater habitats, wetlands and rivers, supporting rich fish communities, as well as species such as Dalmatian pelicans, otters, and golden jackals. The park also forms part of a transboundary landscape shared with neighbouring Albania.
While the park already retains a strong sense of wildness, its management team sees significant opportunities to enhance ecological integrity through rewilding. Priorities include strengthening food webs, reducing illegal harvesting of wildlife, exploring the return of the critically endangered Adriatic sturgeon, tackling invasive species, and restoring natural grazing processes. Rewilding will also help support the development of wildlife-watching tourism and other nature-based economic opportunities for local communities around the lake.
