Searching for wildlife as fire rages in Greece

Reuters Videos
2 年前

STORY: Conservationists and animal protection groups arrived in the area to search for and rescue animals.

According to the semi-official Athens News Agency at least 6,000 acres (2428 hectares) of forest in the park so far, estimated to span some 103,000 acres (41,683 hectares), have been damaged.

The Dadia Forest National Park in the Evros prefecture is an important protected area in Europe, home to a variety of flora and fauna including various birds of prey, particularly the protected black vulture. Hundreds of plant species, as well as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies inhabit the area.

"We have found reptiles, turtles, three or four lizards. The picture is still unclear, there are still several fire fronts, so it's too early to make an estimate," said veterinarian Grigoris Markakis.

Drone views showed large swathes of forest consumed by smoke, and a large sheep corral on the edge of the forest gutted by fire.