Restoring Gredos

Wildlife

Rural abandonment and the disappearance of much of the extensive livestock farming have drastically reduced the presence of large herbivores on the southern slopes of Gredos. Without animals to consume grasses, shoots, and shrubland, the vegetation tends to close, the mountain savanna loses its open structure, and plant fuel accumulates. Restoring herbivory does not mean replacing the old domestic herds, but giving ecological processes a central role once again, so that they can maintain the landscape more autonomously while also helping to reduce the risk of large wildfires.

The recent recovery of the bearded vulture in 2022 shows that it is possible to return locally extinct species to the territory through rigorous projects, institutional cooperation, and public support. This precedent opens the door to a broader restoration of ecological networks, based both on the spontaneous return of wildlife and on carefully planned interventions.

In the short term, we would like to encourage passive rewilding, allowing populations of large wild herbivores to grow and gradually recover their ecological role. Although they are still scarce today, some herds of deer can be seen in open areas, while small groups of Iberian ibex may be spotted on rocky outcrops and the steep slopes of the gorges. The emblematic Gredos ibex is much more abundant at higher elevations, especially around the peaks and the Cirque of Gredos, but it is far less common in the lower areas where the mountain savanna survives. Encouraging its natural expansion into these landscapes could help restore part of the herbivory pressure that has been lost.

Alongside this, we consider the active recovery of the Iberian rabbit, now locally extinct, to be especially valuable. The rabbit is not only a key prey species for many predators and birds of prey, but also a true ecosystem engineer: it burrows, disturbs the soil, creates shelters, redistributes nutrients, and generates small clearings that benefit many other species. Over time, a healthy rabbit population could help create the conditions needed for the return of the Iberian lynx.

In the longer term, we hope to support the recovery of other trophic links that have disappeared locally, gradually rebuilding a more complete and diverse animal community capable of regulating itself with less human intervention.