Plants and Animals

Velka Fatra belongs to Slovak mountains where heteromorphic and original or only a little impaired natural environment occurs.

This area was declared to be national park Velka Fatra in April 2002.

Thanks to rugged topography and varied geological underlayer, plants from various eras have retained to nowadays. There are more than 1,000 of species of plants. Remarkable examples are šafrán spišský (Crocus discolor) on hillsides in early spring, or ľalia zlatohlavá (Lilium martagon) in forests in summer, or veternica narcisokvetá (Anemone narcissiflora) on the main shoulder of the mountains.

The oldest wildlife refuge on this national park is National natural refuge Harmanecka tisina (1949), which was adjusted for protection of tis obyčajný (Taxus baccata). In the national park Veľká Fatra this species is the most plentiful of the whole central Europe. Tis obyčajný is also in logo of national park Veľká Fatra.

As for animals there are mostly remarkable mountain species. There are about 110 species of nesting birds and 60 species of mammals. We should mention such beasts as numerous and dangerous brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus), and in the streams otter (Lutra lutra). Bob cat (Lynx lynx) is very rare. Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) have nests in rock walls whis are unavailable. Typical invertebrate of this area is for example butterfly jasoň červenooký (Parnassius apollo).