Pelister National Park rangers and police apprehend armed individuals

Ranger services from Pelister National Park, in coordination with the Bitola Police Station, conducted a nighttime operation to apprehend armed individuals within the park’s strict protection zone. The operation took place on the night of August 12, 2026, at an altitude exceeding 2,000 meters in difficult mountain terrain.

Two patrols approached the target location from different directions, specifically from Velushina and Infocentar. After more than three hours of trekking, the armed individuals—suspected to be illegal hunters—were located near the ‘Golema Griva’ site around 11:30 PM. Police took control of the situation once the individuals were spotted, and the operation concluded in the early hours of August 13 with the suspects being taken to a police station.

National Park officials noted that the strict protection zone is frequently targeted for illegal activities due to insufficient surveillance. They highlighted that the rugged terrain and deteriorating forest roads make regular patrolling difficult. The park administration stated that repairing these essential forest roads is a high priority on their current agenda to improve nature protection and fire safety.