Flora and fauna

Bulgaria has some of the most widely diverse flora and fauna in Europe – hundreds of numerous and rare species survive in the many untouched landscapes and in the dozen or so national parks.

The country supports around ten thousands species of plant. Over 30 percent of the land mass is forest, of which the majority is virgin; the best being in the UNESCO protected Pirin National Park and over 700 species of trees in the Strandja National Reserve.

Three quarters of all European bird species can be found here, of which almost 20 percent are classed as rare. Environments such as The Black Sea coast and the numerous lakes offer ideal environments for native and migratory waders and water species, while the mountains and pastureland offer a refuge to songbirds and birds of prey.

Animal species include bears, wolves, wild goats and deer. The rivers and the Black Sea provide habitats for 200 species of fish, a small number of otters and seals, and even more rare, the bottlenose dolphin.