Wildlife of Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo
Also known as Abruzzo National Park, it is situated in the mountains, approximately two hours’ drive from Rome. A world away from the bustle of the Capital, Abruzzo is a refuge for wildlife, including the endangered Marsican brown bear, wolves, foxes, chamois and deer.
We went on a short road trip to here in Winter, and we were surrounded by snow-covered mountains. The nighttime temperature dropped a few degrees below zero. Around Abruzzo’s lakes and valleys there are a few small villages to stay in, with plenty of hiking routes to explore the wilderness of the park.
The views
The vistas in Abruzzo deserve a mention in themselves. The park landscape is comprised of mountains, valleys, hills, and trees. You can find great viewpoints, over-looking the valley below, or walk under the surrounding mountain range.
Woodland and grassland cover much of the park; a great habitat for animals that have struggled to survive in more-developed areas of Europe. It’s rural enough to feel you’re far from civilisation, and alone in one of Europe’s great nature reserves.
Wildlife
Patience is a necessary virtue when searching for wildlife. On very rare occasions you might stumble upon what you’re looking for without searching hard. But largely, wildlife-spotting requires time. Even with patience, sightings are never guaranteed. I try to enjoy the search as much as the find. I am often on the lookout for the larger animals on our planet, but I still appreciate the more common smaller creatures, from rodents to birds.
In Abruzzo, our fortunes were mixed. We saw plenty of cute foxes, which were almost wanting to be seen, as well as large red deer stags. We spent a lot of time walking in the quieter areas, on the lookout for wild wolves. We heard fellow visitors had a sighting the same morning we were searching. The wild wolves eluded us.
Observing wolves in a wildlife sanctuary
To return
Alas, the search for a wolf in the wild continues. I would be happy to return to Abruzzo, though, to attempt to see Italy’s wolves and bears again, in beautiful surroundings.