The European beaver Castor fiber L., 1758
The remains from numerous archeological sites testify about the former presence of beavers in the territory of Serbia. In the mid 1800s beavers were already rarely found in the Balcans. High quality fur, delicious meat and castoreum (secretion from a pair of anal glands which was used as a medicine) are the reasons for the disappearance of this species. Today, beavers have the status of an almost endangered species in Europe. In Serbia, they are under strict and permanent legal protection from hunting. During 2004 and 2005 there was a reintroduction of this species in our country, so beavers were distributed several times in the area of the Special natural reserve Zasavica and Obedska bara. Today the population of beavers is on the rise and is significantly spreading. These biggest European rodents are completely adjusted to the amphibious way of life. They move easier and faster in water than on land and they can dive up to 15 minutes. They have stocky body and thick fur with rich hair, flat tail grown in horny scales, and they have a web between the toes of the back feet. Beavers live in families. They dig underground holes, and they build dams on watercoursers which can sometimes be of impressive dimensions.
The Eastern imperial eagle Aquila heliaca Savigny, 1809
The eastern imperial eagles inhabit southeastern Europe, Asia Minor and central Asia. They dwell in Serbia from February to October. They live in open habitats on single trees and alleys, but also accept agricultural areas, very often in the vicinity of human settlements, if they are not hunted. They feed on ground squirrels, but also hunt birds and reptiles. In Serbia, they nest in Vojvodina, where several couples are still successfully self-perserved on mount Fruška Gora. They place their nests in deciduous trees and lay their eggs during the month of March with the incubation lasting 43 days. The number of the eastern imperial eagles drastically dropped in the 20th century, due to degradation of inhabitats and the disappearance of the main prey – the ground squirrel, the use of pesticides in agriculture, hunting, killing and poisoning. The number of the nesting couples in Europe is estimated to be less than 2,500, which is why they are considered to be an endangered species according to the criteria of the European need for protection, and they belong to strictly protected species in Serbia.
The Griffon vulture Gyps fulvus (Hablizl, 1783)
The griffon vulture is the only one, of four species of vultures, which nests in Serbia nowadys and it lives across southern Europe, Asia and northern part of Africa. It has a wingspan up to 2.8 metres and is a powerful flyer which soars very skillfully through warm air above plateaus and vast highlands in search for food – dead animals. Griffon vultures rarely hunt for a live prey, only the sick and weak animals. They nest in colonies, on cliffs and rocks, at an altitude of 500 – 1200 metres. Male and female mate for life, and they use one nest for years. The female lays an egg in February, and the incubation lasts for 52 days. The young are taken care of by both parents. In early 1900s in Serbia, this bird nested on numerous locations, and today it nests in the gorges of the rivers Uvac, Trešnjica and Mileševka, first of all thanks to the feeding places which were formed here in 1989. According to the criteria of the European need for protection the griffon vulture is an endangered species and it belongs to the strictly protected species in Serbia. About 120 couples nest in the three mentioned colonies, while the total population consists of 450 individuals.
The European otter Lutra lutra (L., 1758)
Although the European otter was widely distributed across Europe long ago, it marked a drastic decline in number in the 1960s and 1970s. The reasons for it are poisonous chemicals, destruction of habitats and uncontrollable hunting. The otter is almost an endangered species in Europe, and the most numerous populations today live in southern and eastern Europe. In Serbia, otters are under strict legal protection from hunting, so there is a stable and sufficient number of them. They returned to their old habitats rapidly, even to those which were polluted, such as the Ibar river. Although it was belived that otters almost entirely live near fast, clear mountain streams and small rivers, it was determined that they also live in great rivers of plains and that their presence depends, first of all, on food abundance and availability. Otters live in moist habitats, regardless of altitude. They used to be hunted for fur and sport, and today the mortality factors of otters are: getting hit by cars, poaching, as well as drowning due to entagling into fishing nets and falling into fish traps.
