Central Apennines - Italy

The Central Apennines, located just an hour and a half from Rome, serve as the wild heart of Italy, boasting diverse ecosystems and wildlife. This mountain range, the second largest in Italy, stretches for hundreds of kilometers from north to south. The region features centuries-old beech forests, among the oldest in Europe, housing populations of red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. These herbivores coexist with unfenced horses and cattle, forming the main prey for wolves, possibly reaching the highest density in Europe in some Apennine areas. The Marsican brown bear, an endemic subspecies, stands out as the charismatic and famous inhabitant of these mountain forests.