Mountain Road Bulgaria Nature Reserve Vratsa Balkan cover photo - 68435753

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The Vratsa Balkan Nature Reserve was declared a national park in 1989, and then designated a nature reserve by Decree â„– 987 on November 13, 2003. The park covers extensive territory in northeastern Bulgaria, including almost the entirety of the Vratsa region of the Balkan Mountain Range (The Stara Planina). The reserve extends over 28,344 hectares, and offers a rich variety of animal and plant species. Some 57 species of plant life protected in the park are listed in Bulgariaâ€™s Red Book (a list of all endangered and extinct forms of life within the countryâ€™s borders). Of these, 8 are considered particularly endangered, such as scaly heather (Asplenium lepidum C. Presl) and long-leaved hareâ€™s ear (Bupleurum longifolium) The park contains belts of oak and beech that harbor 180 bird species, 157 of which are protected under the Biodiversity Act. Black storks (Ciconia nigra) nest in the park, as do the rock eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the green woodpecker (Picus viridis), and others. Mammals in the park include deer, wild cats, badgers, otters, black polecats, and other species.

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