ANIMALS
    The varied climatic conditions and Complex Mountain terrain of the Central Balkan National Park combine to provide a variety of wildlife habitats.
   The Park is one of the few remaining locations in Europe that provides sanctuary to rare and endangered animals, such as the wolf, marten, otter, wild cat, Geoffrey’s bat, barbastelle, Schreiber’s bat, common dormouse, Balkan chamois, imperial eagle, corncrake, and ring ouzel.
   The Park is the world’s most significant habitat of the semi-collared flycatcher, white-backed woodpecker, Bechstein’s bat, souslik, and mountain molerat.
   The Central Balkan National Park is home to 59 species of mammals (66% of all mammalian species in Bulgaria); 14 species of reptiles (40% of Bulgarian reptilian species); 123 species of nesting birds (45% of Bulgaria’s ornithological fauna); and 8 amphibian species (half of all Bulgarian amphibian species). Twenty-ones of the vertebrate species within the Park are endangered globally; 80 vertebrate species have been placed under special protection in the Park.

The long-legged buzzard has a pale-rusty body and bright light cream-colored tail and head. Darker specimen also occur, but they also preserve the ruddiness on their head and the pale lower half of the wings.

This is one of the most impressive diurnal predatory species, with a wing span of up to 205 cm. This is the second largest of the eagle species. It is identified by the pale head and the bright white scapulars.

It is the real Goliath among the owls.In many European countries the species is on the brink of extinction. In Bulgaria it is one of the protected species.

It is the smallest of our owls – the larger females weighing only 75 gr.

The southern sub-species of the white-backed woodpecker inhabits our country. It is average in size – reaching only 25 cm. The span of its wings is 39 cm. This species is characterized by clearly expressed sexual and age dimorphism.