Do you know how three big beasts found their home in the area of Risnjak? Bear, wolf and lynx! If the story about these rare, even almost extinct species attracted you, you will be happy to know that in Stara Sušica there is a place where you can get to know each of these species better. In addition, you will learn everything you were interested in, and at the same time, in an interactive way, have a lot of fun during the tour.
The "Big Beast" visitor center in Stara Sušica operates as part of the "Priroda" Public Institution. During their visit to the Center, visitors get to know attractive exhibition display, they are educated about the biodiversity of their habitats, they learn about the coexistence of the mountain population with the forest and these forest inhabitants and, above all, they become aware of the importance of preserving natural heritage.
///Are you ready to meet our biggest land animal – the bear?
As soon as you enter the Center, you will feel it the pure emotion of nature and the forest environment. His setting is a combination of classical and modern interpretation of Gorski kotar.
A little about big beasts
The focus is, of course, on three big beasts – Eurasian lynx, brown bear and gray wolf. Of all the big beasts in Croatia, it is the only one Eurasian lynx (lat. Lynx lynx) completely exterminated. According to available data, the Eurasian lynx disappeared from our forests in 1903, when the last specimen of lynx was shot in Gorski Kotar.
Nevertheless, today the lynx is a permanent "inhabitant" of the Goran forests, for which we can thank the hunters who in 1973 successfully reintroduced three pairs of lynxes from the Slovak Carpathians to the Kočevo forests on the territory of Slovenia. Today, the number of lynx in Croatia is estimated at only 40 to 60 individuals, and in Gorski Kotar the lynx has an extremely favorable habitat.
Did you know? One of the highest peaks of Gorski kotar and also a national park it is called Risnjak after the lynxes, who have always lived in its forests. Brown bear (lat. Ursus arctos) it is the largest European animal, and in the Republic of Croatia bears, about 900 of them, are part of the wider Dinaric-Pindu population.
///Let's save the Balkan lynx, the most endangered cat in Europe
Fortunately, vuk nevertheless took place in Gorski kotar. Its historical presence is indicated by numerous zoonames such as Vučnik, Vučji dolci, Vučje glave, Vučja shkulja and others. Since 1995, the wolf has been a strictly protected species in the Republic of Croatia and its hunting is prohibited, except in exceptional cases with the permission of the competent Ministry.
Visitor Center: A combination of classic and modern, multimedia and nature
The set-up is designed over two floors and is suitable for all ages - from multimedia content through VR glasses, films, a sensory interactive corner, to classic boards on which, during a pleasant walk through the Center, you can read interesting facts about these three animals.
You will be especially intrigued by the designed concept of the "Big Beast" Visitor Center, which is presented through all four seasons. Each part of the lineup is designed as a season. In this way, the annual cycle is closed, where one learns about the life of large animals throughout the year.
Two methods of tracking the beast are shown to visitors. The first one is on the way monitoring of phototraps so on the installed screens you can see photos and short video clips showing large animals in their natural habitats.
Another very interesting way is by road GPS necklace. When the animal is marked, a GPS collar is put on it, which falls off by itself after a while. The necklace brings significant information to the Center about their life, the territory they pass through and the like, which is presented to the Center's visitors.
///Want to observe large animals in their natural environment?
How to get to the Center?
The Big Beast Visitor Center is located in the municipality of Ravna Gora, in the heart of Gorski Kotar. It is a little more than an hour away from Zagreb, in the immediate vicinity of the Rijeka-Zagreb highway exit (Ravna Gora exit).
It is located in the town Stara Sušica, on the old Karolinska road next to the picturesque Francopan castle and the church of St. Anthony of Padua, and shares a courtyard with the nearby Center for Agriculture and Rural Development of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
///"Hogwarts" castle in the hills of Gorski kotar
From October 15 to March 31 The "Veleke zvijeri" center is open from 10 a.m. to 14 p.m. From April 1 to June 30 and from September 1 to October 14 working hours are from 10 a.m. to 16 p.m. During July and August the center is open every day from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m. From June 1 to August 31, the Center is open to visitors every day of the week, and during other months it is open every day except Monday.
And on your way out, stop for a souvenir
You can find it in the Center itself authentic souvenirs thematically related to large beasts, but also other interesting details. For example, you can get for the youngest "A small picture book about big animals" or "Goran bestiary" - a collection of true incidents and accidents of people and large animals in Gorski kotar, for those a little older and much, much more...
In our video, we bring a tourist story directly from the Center, where Ivana Briški Đorđević introduced us to the attractions.
Photos: Archives of the "Big Beasts" Visitor Center
