The fauna of the Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park is composed by many species of extraordinary value. It is not so easy to see wild animals, but It is easier with the help of an expert guide, with the knowledge of the territory and of the uses of the animals.

The most famous animal, symbol of the Park, is the Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus). It is impossible to confuse the bear with other animals, because of its dimension and weight ( more than 200Kg). It is a lazy, quite and solitary: mainly omnivorous It is very well adapted to eat the food the territory offers in that moment: fruit, berries, grass, insects, honey, flowers, roots, dead animals. Bear lives in the forest, but It spends the summer time eating berries in the big meadows. It is not easy to meet a bear, while you can see often the signs of its presence: the tracks on mad or snow or big stones turned over to look for insects. No other bears are as peaceful and quite as the Marsican brown bear.

Another important animal is the Abruzzo Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata). More than 700 specimens live in the Park, Abruzzo Chamois is coming back on the top of the mountains where it lived undisturbed in the past. The main characteristics that distinguish the Abruzzo Chamois from the others are very long antlers and the beautiful colour of the winter coat. The Abruzzo Chamois is an herbivorous and prefers the grass on the highlands, but when the snow is very high, , It spends the winter in the wood. It lives in Camosciara, Monte Amaro, Monte Meta, Massiccio delle Mainarde and Monte Marsicano.

The wolf (Canis lupus italicus) is a specie diffused along Italian Apennine. It was an endangered specie but now they live in the park with a stable number of 50 elements. It can live alone or in small pack, organized in hierarchy. It moves a lot in its territory looking for preys, usually small animals in summer and big ungulates in winter time. The wolf is very difficult to see because It prefers to ove during the night and lives in the wildest places in the Park. The signs of its presence are the tracks, similar a big dog, and the excrements covered by the hair of its preys.

The lynx (Linx linx) is a mysterious animal may be present in the Park in the wildest valleys. The main characteristics of this feline are: small ears and short tail. The lynx is a solitary and territorial animal, it hunts rabbits, foxes, small red deer and roe deer, birds an mice. Usually silent, It is possible to hear its call during the mating period (February-March). It is a very elusive animal, very difficult to meet. Among the big predators, one of the most important is the Golden eagle, presents in the Park with three or four couples. The eagle risked to extinguish for many reasons: poaching, sky stations, deforestation, etc. In future we must reduce the risks of extinction of the Golden eagle if we want to save it. Flying the eagle form a sort of big and opened “V” and the female is bigger than the male, with the wings two meters long and 6 Kg of weight.

At the beginnings of 70’s, the Park decided to reintoduce red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and the animals used came from the Alps. This fact opened many discussions about the genetic difference between Alpine and Apennine animals, however the Park decided to consider more important the integrity of the ecosystem and the ecological balance. These two herbivorous prefer wood with meadows and bushes. Males of both the species have the antlers, they lose every year. During the mating period of the red deer ( September-October), it is possible to hear the typical call of the male: “the roar”. It is not difficult to see red deer early in the morning, while the roe deer is more timid.

Many other animals must be remembered, we consider “less important” than the others. First of all the Otter (Lutra lutra) hidden in the quietest rivers and lakes in the Park, the Wild cat (Felis silvestris) more common and diffused than we think but it is very difficult to see it, the Marten ( Martes martes), the Stone marten (Martes foina), the Polecat (Mustela putorius), the Weasel (Mustela nivalis) and the Badger (Meles meles). The fox is the easiest animal to meet in the Park, sometimes in the villages too, looking for food. Many species of rodent live in this area: the Dormouse (Myoxuis Glis), the Hazel mouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), the Field mouse ( Chyonomis nivalis), the Hedgeog (Erinaceus europeaus), the Black squirrel (Scirus vulgaris meridionalis) and the Porcupine (Hystrix cristata).