human activity that impacts the local environment in whatsoever way is forbidden within the national park's boundaries. The area of the national park has furthermore been declared a Special Area of Conservation as part of the Natura 2000 Network. The Gorgopotamos Gorge has also been declared a SAC, and together with the national park and the Asopos valley forms the broader "Mount Oeta National Park - Asopos Valley" Special Protected Area. Oeta also has two wildlife refuges, where hunting is forbidden: the Skasmeni Frantzi – Dyo Vouna area on the northeastern slopes, and the Oiti–Pavliani area on the southeastern. The national park and protected areas are overseen by the Management Body of Mt Oiti National Park, established as an agency of the Ministry of the Environment in 2002 (Law 3044/2002). Flora Fauna Mammals in the park are roe deer, wild boar and hare. The balkan chamois lives on the mountain and is the symbol of the national park. Big predators of the region are brown bears, wolves and wildcats. The alpine newt is one of the amphibians living in the park and is endangered. The park also hosts a great variety of bird species. Woodpecker species are present on Oiti, such as grey–headed woodpecker, the white–backed woodpecker, the black woodpecker and the syrian woodpecker. Other bird species include the ortolan bunting, the horned lark, the eurasian skylark, the tawny pipit, the alpine accentor, the black redstart, the northern wheatear, the common rock thrush, the black stork and the white–winged snowfinch. As well as a great number of rare predatory birds, for example the golden eagle, the short–toed snake eagle and the peregrine falcon. Fish species of the parks rivers and lakes are Sperchios barbel, Macedonian chub, Sperchios spirlin, Greek trout and probably the endangered Marathon minnow. History Antiquity In Greek mythology, Oeta is chiefly celebrated as the scene of Heracles' death, and Roman authors even gave the demi-god the epithet Oetaeus. Prepared to die, he ascended Mount Oeta, where he built a funeral pyre, gave his bow and arrows to Philoctetes, and laid himself down on the pile, his head resting on his club, and his lion's skin spread over him, and commanded Philoctetes to apply the torch to the pyre. Another version of the story claims that Zeus threw a lightning bolt on the site of Heracles' death, and that from this place sprung forth the Gorgopotamos river. The