LIPU Centre
Centro Recupero Fauna Selvatica Bosco Ficuzza (PA)
ADDRESS: Centro Recupero Fauna Selvatica Bosco Ficuzza, Ficuzza di Corleone (PA).Tel. 091 8460107
Location
In the Commune of Corleone, near Palermo (Sicily), near the square, in the small village of Ficuzza.HOW TO GET THERE: From Palermo take the N121 as far as Bolognetta and then the N118 in the direction of Corleone.
Foundation
The Centre was inaugurated in 1996. It is within the Bosco di Ficuzzo, which covers more than 7000 hectares of the Riserva Naturale Orientata. It is the first Wildlife Treatment Centre to be established in Sicily and is now a primary reference point, both within the region and also for centres being set up elsewhere.THE HISTORY OF BOSCO FICUZZA During the nineteenth century the forest at Ficuzza was the royal hunting reserve of Fernando IV of Borbone, who built a villa there, and around which grew the small village of Ficuzza. On the death of the King, in 1825, the building was abandoned and the forest went through a long period of exploitation and decline, right up to 1948, when it became the property of the Forestry Department of the Region of Sicily.
TREATMENT FACILITIES The Centre is equipped with an examination room, an operating theatre and a nursery, where, especially in spring, large numbers of abandoned young birds are cared for. There is a range of modern aviaries, designed for various uses: rehabilitation, quarantine, pre-release acclimatisation, research and teaching. The wild creatures, which come in from all over Sicily, are immediately examined by veterinary experts who then decide on their treatment.
Visits
The Centre has a Visitor Centre with a large room for meetings and lessons. There is ample parking in the square nearby and in the village there are several bars and food stores. The Centre is open all year and guided visits can be booked in advance, especially for schools and other groups.Other Attractions in the Area
There is the lovely reserve itself, with its woodland, rock faces and the "whirlpools" (Gorgo Tondo, Lungo and the Drago), remnants of small natural lakes. The Rock of Busandra, 1613 metres, is the home of many interesting species, such as Golden Eagles, Rock Partridges and an established colony of Lesser Kestrels. In the woods there are still some wild cats and martens.
