Rewilding Portugal is working with local partners to develop a 120,000 hectare wildlife corridor that connects the Malcata mountain range in the south to the Douro Valley in the north. Within the corridor, natural processes will shape the land; replenishing habitats will support higher bird and mammal diversity; scavenger species will recycle nutrients as they should; and carnivory and herbivory will help to
regulate the ecosystem.
Through the Endangered Landscapes Programme’s project “Scaling Up Rewilding in the Greater Côa Valley”, Rewilding Portugal are reintroducing wild and semi-wild herbivores on newly-purchased abandoned land. Herbivores are diversifying the vegetation to create more wildfire-resistant communities, while extending habitat for crucial prey species for Imperial eagle, Iberian lynx and wolf.
Due to the expansion of infrastructure, persecution from humans, and a lack of wild prey, Portuguese wolf packs are currently fragmented south of the Douro. Through the LIFE WolFlux project, Rewilding Portugal is promoting the ecological and social conditions for wolf populations to reconnect and expand: Conflicts with the livestock sector are being reduced through the rekindling of coexistence traditions; and the prey base for the Iberian wolf is expanding within a critical wildlife corridor.
The rural community is at the heart of Rewilding Portugal’s conservation philosophy. They are working with Rewilding Europe Capital to uplift local nature-based businesses, helping local communities to welcome wildlife comeback.
