Gran Paradiso National Park

Via della Rocca, 47 10123 Torino (TO)

The Gran Paradiso National Park was established in 1922 as the first national park in Italy. It is located in the regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont and extends over an area of ​​70 318 hectares, which is mostly mountainous. In the west for a distance of approximately 14 km common border with the French Vanoise National Park. The park was - at that time as a royal hunting reserve italian - the area in which have survived the last, otherwise the entire Alpine arc extinct Alpine ibex - analogous to the bison in the Polish Bialowieza National Park.

In the middle of the national park is the summit of Gran Paradiso, with 4061 m height.

→ See also Bivouac Ivrea

Nature and environmental protection

In 2006, the Gran Paradiso National Park, the European Diploma of Protected Areas awarded by the Euro Europe.

Decline of the ibex from the 1990s

Were in the 1990s was approximately 6,000 ibex in the nature park are observed, that number fell continuously since then. In 2010 the number of animals had decreased to less than 2,500. The reason for the decline in population is a youth increased mortality, about 75 % of the fawns do not survive the first year of life.

The rate of reproduction is not to be decreased compared to the past.

The cause of the high mortality rate among the pups was also an issue of 26 ibex Symposium in Heiligenblut, but is not yet fully understood. First guesses ranged from climate change ( increasing temperatures, the grass is dry and fast protein poorer ) to poisoned by aircraft exhaust grass.

Communities within the park

In the park, the boroughs Aymavilles, Cogne, Introd, Rhêmes -Notre -Dame, Rhêmes- Saint-Georges, Valsavarenche Villeneuve ( in the Aosta Valley ) and Ceresole Reale, Locana, Noasca, Ribordone, Ronco Canavese and Valprato Soana ( Piedmont ).

To the west of the Gran Paradiso National Park abuts the French Vanoise National Park.