Many local inhabitants have moved out of the area towards the coast. As a result, many areas of this region are now characterised by land abandonment, rural exodus and fading cultural tradition. Rewilding Europe is working with its partners to transform challenges into opportunities. This has seen the establishment of the 17,000-hectare Velebit Nature Reserve, situated between two large national parks. Here rewilding is offering a fresh approach to wildlife management and underpinning the development of a local nature-based economy, creating a wildlife and ecological corridor in the Velebit mountains.