Arcturos Bear Sanctuary

Macedonia

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Twenty minutes' drive up the eastern flank of the mountains separating Kastoria and Florina is this sanctuary for the brown bears native to the Pindos Mountains, the Peristeri Range and the mountains that lie along the Bulgarian border. The ursine inhabitants have only 20 hectares to roam unmolested up here, but enjoy conserved natural habitat and an agreeably cool altitude of 1350m. This place is all about the bears: you can observe them, but no more.

The brown bear, Europe’s largest land mammal, survives only in very small numbers.

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