While moose is a species more typical for northern wilderness of Canada, Siberia or Scandinavia, it used to be native in temperate forests of continental Europe where it got extirpated at the end of middle agesw. Better nature protection laws have allowed its slow return to certain parts of Central Europe in last decades.
In 1970s, few animals that immigrated on their own from growing Polish moose stock settled and started a small population in Bohemian forest national park (in Czech it´s called Šumava) which covers mountain range on Czech/German/Austrian border junction. This border range used to be a part of protected and prohibited Iron Curtain deviding Europe during Cold War.
Current size of moose population based on photo traps and genetic testing of fur found in bird nests is estimated at 17 animals (with 4 calves born last year) and keeps stable in last 2 decades. Its biggest theats is traffic accidents and illegal hunting.
To get a glimpse of a moose here is rare, they live in pine forests and swamp on southern coast of Lipno dam where not many tourist paths go.
Šumava / Bohemian forest national park is a popular tourist destination, both during summer and winter, with millions of visitors
Apart of moose, you can see here wild wolves, Carpathian lynx, European wild cat, otter, beaver, common cranes, white-tailed sea eagles, Ural owl, black stork, peregrine falcon, capercaillie, black and hazel grouse, corn crake...
A list of extirpated key species - brown bear, wisent (with tentative plans of reintroduction), golden eagle and lesser spotted eagle. The last two eagles might come on their own one day, however return of bears seems impossible unless Austrians or Germans reintroduce them into nothern Alps.
In 1970s, few animals that immigrated on their own from growing Polish moose stock settled and started a small population in Bohemian forest national park (in Czech it´s called Šumava) which covers mountain range on Czech/German/Austrian border junction. This border range used to be a part of protected and prohibited Iron Curtain deviding Europe during Cold War.
Current size of moose population based on photo traps and genetic testing of fur found in bird nests is estimated at 17 animals (with 4 calves born last year) and keeps stable in last 2 decades. Its biggest theats is traffic accidents and illegal hunting.
To get a glimpse of a moose here is rare, they live in pine forests and swamp on southern coast of Lipno dam where not many tourist paths go.
Šumava / Bohemian forest national park is a popular tourist destination, both during summer and winter, with millions of visitors
Apart of moose, you can see here wild wolves, Carpathian lynx, European wild cat, otter, beaver, common cranes, white-tailed sea eagles, Ural owl, black stork, peregrine falcon, capercaillie, black and hazel grouse, corn crake...
A list of extirpated key species - brown bear, wisent (with tentative plans of reintroduction), golden eagle and lesser spotted eagle. The last two eagles might come on their own one day, however return of bears seems impossible unless Austrians or Germans reintroduce them into nothern Alps.