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MUTULU NG ANG A
Z AM BIA
R I L A MO UN TA I N S
B ULG A R I A
WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL?
The reserve has a sizeable area of mopane woodland,
where vibrant birds flit between dappled leaves and hippos
and elephants forage within the scrubland. The towering Rila mountain range is the birthplace of some
of the Balkans’ longest rivers. They flow past glacial lakes
and down through verdant, centuries-old forest.
WHO LIVES HERE? WHO LIVES HERE?
African Pitta, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Purple-crested
Turaco Three-toed Woodpecker, Golden Eagle, Eurasian Pygmy-
owl
HOW WAS IT THREATENED? HOW WAS IT THREATENED?
In 2010, two companies were given large concessions
to log the mopane, which would leave less than a third
of these trees standing. Besides threatening precious
biodiversity, this would make local communities vulnerable
to floods, erosion and grassland fires. Tourism, especially ski resorts, risked destroying habitats.
In 2007 the government rejected several protected area
proposals and started building a ski lift.
OUR RESPONSE:
Our Zambian Partner ZOS mustered several NGOs and
officially objected to the Environmental Council. Pressure
from ZOS and its allies, alongside a community petition
with 600 signatures, resulted in the logging project finally
being rejected.
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OUR RESPONSE:
In 2008, our Bulgarian Partner BSPB submitted a complaint
to the European Commission. After a decade of advocacy,
in 2018 the European Court found Bulgaria at fault for
not fully designating the site a Special Protection Area
under the EU Habitats Directive. The site is now formally
protected with an expanded ‘buffer zone’ in the foothills.
BIRDLIFE • OCT-DEC 2019