Name: Red Fox Trails
Address: Alps
Telephone: +41799529335
Price range: $$

The word safari is often associated with the savannahs of Africa, but the Old World has something to offer too. In fact, Europe has been experiencing a quiet revolution for the past 30 years. After centuries of habitat destruction and hunting that eliminated large carnivores and megafauna from most of the continent, a combination of legal protection, rewilding projects, and changing attitudes is bringing the wild back. Wolves have returned to the Alps. Lynx prowl the forests of Switzerland and Austria. Brown bears are expanding from their Carpathian strongholds into the Eastern gateway of the Alps - Slovenia - and from there into Italy and Austria. And the European Bison — almost extinct in the wild — now numbers over 7,000 animals in free-ranging herds across Eastern Europe.

At Red Fox Trails, our safari programme is built around this extraordinary conservation success story. We take our guests to the places where Europe's wildlife is most concentrated and most visible — and we do so with guides whose knowledge of animal behaviour and ecology transforms a wildlife encounter from a simple sighting into a profound understanding of the web of life.

The Bison Safari (Białowieża)

European bison herd at dawn in Bialowieza — A herd of European Bison at the forest edge at dawn — the most powerful wildlife encounter in Europe.

Our flagship safari is the Białowieża Bison Expedition — 3 days in the last primeval forest of Europe, tracking the continent's largest land animal. We work exclusively with licensed forest guides who have been knowing these ancient woods since childhood. Bison are most active at dawn and dusk, and we organize early morning excursions (departure at 5am) to the meadows at the forest's edge where the herds gather to graze.

The approach is on foot, moving slowly and quietly through the forest undergrowth. The guide reads the signs: fresh hoof prints in the mud, trampled vegetation, the distinctive musky smell of the herd. And then — often without warning — the forest opens and there they are: a group of 10, 15, 20 bison, grazing peacefully in the early light, completely indifferent to our presence.

On this adventure, although rarer and far more elusive, it is also possible to encounter European elk (moose), wolves , bears , or lynx .

The European Bison was thought to be extinct in the wild when a wild bison was killed in Białowieża in 1919, with only 54 animals remained in zoos worldwide. Then, in the early 2000s, a wild bison was photographed deep in the forest by a passing ranger; it became immediately clear: the bisons were back. Today, the species is recovering — a genuine triumph for conservation science.

The Carnivore Expedition (Carpathians)

In the mountains of Romania and Slovakia, we go in search of Europe's most elusive predators. The Carpathian forests shelter the highest density of brown bears, wolves, and lynx in Europe outside Russia.

For brown bear watching, we use professionally constructed observation hides near known activity areas in the Piatra Craiului and Bucegi regions of Romania. Sightings from the hides are virtually guaranteed — in season. Wolves and lynx are more elusive and while sighting one of them cannot be guaranteed we still do our best to create a memorable wildlife experience for you.

Birding & Photography

For guests with specific interests in birds or nature photography, we offer specialist safari extensions. The Carpathians are home to globally significant populations of Imperial Eagles, Lesser Spotted Eagles, and White-tailed Eagles. The Biebrza Marshes in northeast Poland — just two hours from Białowieża — host extraordinary concentrations of wetland birds including the Great Snipe and the Aquatic Warbler.