17 red deer and 96 fallow deer have been reintroduced to the Eastern Rhodopes this winter, according to the Wilder Rhodopes Foundation. The deer are under constant surveillance and will not be hunted for the next 5 years.

This brings the total number of new deer of both species released in the mountains in the last ten years to over 650, which is the largest reintroduction of deer in Bulgaria. "Our aim is to reintroduce two of the three deer species found in Bulgaria to the whole of the Eastern Rhodopes," explains Stefan Avramov, an expert at Wilder Rhodopes.By the end of February, 35 more red deer will be translocated to the area, whose biodiversity is one of the best preserved in Europe.

In the past, the red deer and the fallow deer were widespread in Bulgarian lands. Depictions of fallow deer appear on various pieces of jewellery from the Thracian era, and fallow deer bones have been found in almost all Bulgarian prehistoric settlements. It is assumed that it was wiped out by man in the early Middle Ages, and the restoration of the species in Bulgaria began at the beginning of the 20th century.

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Deer are interesting to observe and photograph by hikers and photographers and according to conservationists, increasing their population will help to establish the area as a year-round preferred tourist destination.

The ultimate goal of the Wilder Rhodopes Foundation team is to have at least 50 free-living red deer and 300 fallow deer in the Eastern Rhodopes in five years.