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Donana National Park
The Doñana National Park is one of Europe’s largest and most important wetland
reserves. It was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1980 then inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.
This once favourite hunting reserve of Spanish kings such as Philip IV, Philip V and
Alfonso XIII has a staggering 365 recorded species of resident and migratory birds,
(5 of which are endangered species), is the wintering site for more than 500,000
water fowl each year and has one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean
region.
There is an astounding diversity of biotopes and species throughout the 2,700
sq kms of the Doñana including lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub
woodland, and 60 kms of virgin beaches.
Apart from the 365 recorded species of bird
you can also find 18 species of reptiles, 11 amphibians, 33 mammals and 875 different
plant species. The Spanish Imperial Eagle, Iberian lynx and Egyptian mongoose
perhaps deserve a special mention as they are all currently endangered species.
Bigger than Luxemburg
Can you imagine a land where the animals and plants enjoy freedom as their birthright? A land whose entire area
is under protection? A land which changes with each season and where every day has a surprise in store? A land
where almost 900 species of flora and 450 of fauna live in harmony? Well Doñana is all of that, and we call it
a "land" because its area is larger than that of Luxemburg. It occupies 0.59% of Spanish national territory,
most of it in a province where you come across a protected area everywhere you turn.
Venture into Doñana and enjoy a first-hand documentary.
Did you know ...?
• The eucalyptus trees growing in Doñana come from Australia, where there are some 600
different species of eucalyptus
• The lynx owes its name to the hero of Greek mythology Lynceus? He was the Pilot of
Jason's ship - the Argo - and was renowned for his keen eyesight. It was said in Homer's Odyssey that Lynceus
could 'see into the hearts of the darkest forests and to the depths of the deepest oceans'
• In 1929 Dromedary camels were released in the area
• In 1951 a game warden killed the last remaining wolf in Doñana
• In 1952 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was founded with the aim of saving Doñana, and it
bought up several estates in order to protect their natural features.
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