Montenegro Country Information - Fauna

The deliberate reduction of timber stocks in Montenegro has deprived many animals of their natural habitat. Nevertheless, the remaining forest areas, which cover over 40% of the country's territory, especially in national parks and along the borders, provide a home and refuge for numerous species. These include bears, wolves, deer and roe deer, chamois, wild boars, jackals, and even the endangered Balkan lynx. A surprising aspect is that many of these animal species, especially bears and wolves, are officially open to hunting, even though their populations currently number only about 200 individuals per species. The lure of money from wealthy (mostly Italian) hunting tourists (who then sell the meat openly and at high prices) is probably too great, and the state even pays bounties for shooting these animals. The ecological state does not need to be asked for an official argument – too much damage is caused by the killing of farm animals. However, this only happens in very isolated cases, and in Croatia, for example, the state compensates farmers for the damage, and hunting wild animals has long been banned there. The country's bird life is one of the most species-rich in Europe and attracts numerous ornithologists for this reason alone; over 270 species have been counted so far. Many native and migratory birds can be observed, especially at Lake Skadar and the salt flats near Ulcinj. In addition, there are rare species of ducks, owls, cormorants, pelicans, eagles, and vultures.

The bird life along the Tara Gorge and in the national parks is also pretty cool.

There are relatively many snakes in Montenegro, but only two of them are poisonous. The cross viper and sand viper, both characterized by similarly striking skin patterns. However, a bite can be treated within 30 hours with a serum available in any hospital. Montenegro's farm animals often include sheep and goats, and less commonly cattle and pigs. Donkeys and mules are still often used to plow the fields. The clean rivers, lakes, and relatively unpolluted coastal waters provide a fabulous underwater home for numerous fish and other marine animals. Along the short Adriatic coastline, 740 species have been recorded so far, and Lake Skadar officially has 40 freshwater species.