Last Saturday marked the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition “Velebit – Wild Heart of Croatia” in the medieval coastal city of Senj. The purpose of the exhibition is to promote Velebit Mountains as a must visit nature travel destination, demonstrate the value of wild nature and wildlife and show the local community the opportunities arising from the development of a nature-based economy.
This weekend, Rewilding Europe and WWF-Romania are inviting you for a trip through the Danube Delta, with the help of 40 unique photographs. The exhibition, on show June 13–15, in the city of Tulcea, Romania, is a core part of the third edition of the Pelicam Film Festival. The opening event will take place on Friday, June 13, at 17.00, at Casa Avramide, Tulcea.
According to the Belgian TV-show “Dieren in nesten”, The European bison, the wolf, the brown bear, the wolverine, and the lynx are the “The Big 5 of Europe” – the continent’s five most impressive wild mammals. All these five are – and especially so the European bison which ranked as number 1 – among the symbolical species for Rewilding Europe and emblematic for the wildlife comeback in Europe.
Chris Dusauchoit, a Flemish radio- and television presenter and one of the faces of the Belgian TV show “Dieren in nesten” has, together with two young biologists launched the ambition to define which wild animals that are the five most impressive animals of the old continent. They are convinced: just like Africa has its Big5, we have to give our continent its own Big5!
Looking back at a fantastic week in the ”Pantanal of Europe”, where I did a photo mission for Rewilding Europe, all well organised by Rewilding Europe’s man on the ground – Cristian Mititelu. Boat trips, canoe trips, horse cart rides, hikes and ultra-light flights through or over the different habitats of this huge and to a great part still pretty wild area. And it is getting wilder…
With the economic value of wildlife as its special focus, a seminar called ”LARGE 2012” was held at the Museum of Modern Arts in Stockholm, Sweden on January 31, organised by the Swedish Ecotourism Association together with the ”Big Five” national large carnivore information center.
Right at dawn, the first eagle lands outside. A magnificent adult Golden eagle! 15 metres away. Through my telephoto lens I can see straight into the amber-coloured, piercing eyes of the eagle. The eagle gaze is not easily forgotten. I have seen golden eagles thousands of times, but almost always only at rather long distance, through powerful binoculars or telescopes. They are wonderful to see every time, but seeing them up close is a completely new dimension.
Why did the Aurochs and Wisent/European bison disappear from large parts of Europe, and in some areas already thousands of years ago?