Medo u vodi

"The Bear Pond"

Priroda Fauna

Large or small, ponds are always very important in any ecosystem, be it an ecosystem in an insular “waterless karst” or one in the “highland karst” of Gorski Kotar with no permanent water courses.

Ponds are hotspots of biological diversity, as demonstrated by the EU Project Lokna carried out on Krk Island. Ponds are teeming with tiny aquatic organisms and multitudes of diverse insects and amphibians tied to wet habitats and are visited by birds and mammals in search of water and food. During the summer months, from 22 July to 14 September 2018, a camera trap captured some fascinating photos at a pond in the beech and fir forest of Gorski Kotar. Brown bears visited the pond most frequently (19 times), mostly during the night, to enjoy the coolness of this watery oasis. In addition to bears, the camera trap also caught squirrels (13 times), deer (9 times), goshawks (5 times), jaybirds (5 times), buzzards (4 times) and a fox, heron, ducks and an owl (one time each).

Cooling down after a muggy day.

 

Bears enjoying a nocturnal bath.