Juzni Kucaj - A gem of nature under state protection: Never go to these peaks on your own

This part of eastern Serbia used to be called Hajduk and Golubinja mountains

The Kucaj mountains, also known as Juzni (South) Kucaj, lie between Resava, Zlotska and Crni Timok rivers in eastern Serbia.

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They consists of several mountain ranges, plateaus and peaks, whose average height is about 1,000 meters above sea level. They belong to the Carpathian-Balkan mountains, while the abundant natural beauty there has led to one part of this area becoming a national park.

Juzni Kucaj used to have a different name; the names Hajduk and Golubinja mountains were popular among the locals.

The current name of the mountain comes from several species of wolves that inhabit the dense forests of Kucaj; one of the largest wolf populations in all of Europe lives here.

In addition to wolves, there are also foxes, rabbits, deer, badgers, squirrels, lynxes, chamois, but also snakes.

As much as Juzni Kucaj is rich in fauna, it is even richer in plant species. St. John's wort, chamomile, yarrow, thyme, lemon balm, nettle, as well as wild strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, wild apples and wild cherries can be found growing on Kucaj's slopes and plateaus.

Juzni Kucaj is covered in oak, maple, beech, and ash woods.

Although it is tempting for mountaineers to go there, the advice is not to go exploring on your own, because you can get lost very easily.

This year, a part of Juzni Kucaj, along with the Stara Mountain, has come under the highest level of state protection.

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

(Telegraf.rs)