FWFF provides conservation support to leading project partners in Ponor SPA (BG0002005) .

The area of Ponor Mountain is not protected by the national nature conservation legislation. Five protected areas are designated for protection of caves or waterfalls that cover only 0.3% of the area. The proposed SPA overlaps significantly with the “Ponor” CORINE Site was designated in 1998 because of its European value for habitats, rare and threatened plant and animal species, including birds. Since 2005 the whole area of Ponor has been designated as Important Bird Areas.

The site represents high quality habitat for large vultures – Griffon, Cinereous and Bearded vultures. Medium altitude 900 -1400 m, karst cliffs, open grasslands and is close to the Vrachanski Balkan SPA, where griffon vultures successfully reintroduced since 2010, and the Cinereous vulture reintroduction is on-going, with the first formed pairs. In 2021 a nest was discovered in Ponor SPA in a sylver pine. The birds originating from the reintroduction project in Vrachanski Balkan SPA moved in Ponor for the summer to feed on free ranging horses carcasses and started nest construction, showing that the area is suitable for the species. Pine plantations will be managed to turn to optimal Cinereous vulture habitat within the project. Also the Souslik population will be monitored and supported with grazing direction and/or translocation of Souslik in new locations, where optimal grazing is restored.