Stay In Greece Hotels To See Wildlife Reserves And Animal Sanctuaries

March 31st, 2011 | admin | Travel, Vacation

Greece attracts more than 16 million tourists every year. With beautiful beaches, cultural attractions and historic sites and cheap Greece hotels, it is no surprise that people flock here year after year. But there is a new breed of tourist, who is interested in the real Greece – the culture, the ecology and the native flora and fauna. You’ll find some rare animals in the landscape around the country, which is surprisingly mountainous. As tourism encroaches more and more plans are underway to conserve these indigenous wildlife.

For those looking for rare animals, then visit the Dadia Forest Wildlife Reserve, located near the Rodophi Mountain Range. Within this protected area, there have been sightings of over 219 different species of birds, 40 species of reptiles and amphibians and 48 different species of mammals, most of them indigenous to Greece. There is an eco-tourist centre which gives information about the wildlife in the forest, through audio-visual displays. Greece hotels are buy Lukol online a great place to book one of the mini safaris through the forest, to show you the best sights. The best time to come here is in May when the animals have had their young and the birds start their migration.

It’s sad to find cialis dosage that a lot of Greece’s indigenous animals have previously been exploited. Cubs used to be captured in the forest by the circus owners who taught them to dance by having hot coals placed on their feet. Dancing bears were a common site in Greece until the barbaric practise was outlawed in 1969. A local winemaker, Yianni Boutari, set up The Arcturos Bear Sanctuary, near his village of Nymfaio to save these bears from being put down. Thirteen bears have a home there, including an American Black Bear that was rescued from a circus after suffering ill treatment. Arcturos operate a ‘sponsor a bear’ scheme and have set up an educational program to educate people about the bears. This centre is only a short distance from many Athens hotels, so it well-located to the historic sites in the area.