“Brown bears, Greece’s largest predator, have made a remarkable comeback. Their numbers have increased roughly fourfold since the 1990s, said Dimitrios Bakaloudis, a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki who specialises in wildlife management and conservation.

Up to an estimated 870 brown bears roam the forests of northern Greece, according to the most recent survey by Arcturos, an environmental organisation set up in 1992 that provides a sanctuary for rescued bears and wolves.

And it’s not just bears. Wolves also have seen their numbers rise. While wolves could only be found as far south as central Greece in 2010, they have now spread to the outskirts of Athens and into the Peloponnese in southern Greece, Bakaloudis said.

Their recovery has been sustained in part by the also increasing population of wild boars, which is unrelated to conservation efforts. Rather, a combination of a number of factors, including a reduction of hunting, milder winters and cross-breeding with domestic pigs, have led them to reproduce at a faster rate, Professor Bakaloudis explained.”

From Independent.