Trail Closures for Extended Muflon Cull
The Tenerife Island Council has decreed five extra days for its muflon culling campaign, leading to the closure of walking trails and forest tracks this January. The invasive species threatens the unique flora of Mount Teide and other summit areas. The council informed the public yesterday via the Official Bulletin of the Canary Islands (BOC) of the specific paths affected, so that hikers and other users can plan their excursions accordingly.
Controlling an Invasive Legacy
The council permits the capture of muflons during specific, tightly controlled periods known as game management campaigns. The goal is to eradicate this species of mountain sheep (Ovis gmelini musimon), which was introduced into the Teide National Park and the Corona Forestal of Tenerife in 1971 during the Franco dictatorship for big game hunting. There are no exact figures for the remaining population, as the animals are very elusive, but hunters believe the numbers do not exceed 200.
Extra Hunting Days Scheduled
The last culling campaign, where authorisations are granted to teams of hunters, took place between 1st October and 14th November 2025. Activity was suspended for the final three days due to Storm Claudia alerts. To compensate for this and given that eliminating this population is a priority for the Teide National Park, the council has scheduled five extra days in January 2026. Hunters with permits will be deployed in different areas on the following dates: the 14th, 23rd, 26th, 27th, and 28th.
A Five-Year Eradication Goal
The island corporation has a maximum of five years to definitively eliminate the remaining muflons from Spain’s highest peak. This is stipulated in the new Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG) for Tenerife’s natural jewel, which has just come into force. The species is one of the main threats to Teide’s flora, which is notable for its high number of endemic species (31).
A Controversial Franco-Era Introduction
The muflon was introduced on the island in the final throes of the Franco dictatorship. The first 11 specimens arrived on a German aircraft in February 1971 from Corsica. At that time, this unique protected landscape had been a national park for 17 years, but the military regime flouted the most basic conservation rules. It introduced these high-mountain sheep, native to Corsica and Sardinia and which had never set foot on the island, as a privilege so that elites could practice big game hunting for the first time.
Detailed Schedule of Affected Areas
The first extra culling day, this Wednesday the 14th, will take place in the West (between Chiguergue, Las Fuentes and Volcanes Negros) and Chacorche (between the path to Candelaria and Corral del Niño) sectors of Teide and the Corona Forestal. A total of 17 trails will be closed to the public, as detailed on the ‘Tenerife ON’ website. The next session, on Friday the 23rd, will occur in the Pico Viejo and Siete Cañadas sectors. The other three days are Monday the 26th, Tuesday the 27th, and Wednesday the 28th.
Hunters will be deployed on the 26th in the Pico Viejo and Siete Cañadas sectors, on the 27th in Chacorche, and on the 28th in the West and Southwest sectors. In total, transit will be prohibited on 34 summit trails and forest tracks, according to the announcement from the Tenerife Council signed on 29th December and published yesterday in the BOC.
Public Cooperation Requested
Detailed maps of the sectors affected by these extraordinary culling days can be consulted on the council’s open data portal. ‘Tenerife ON’, a digital council application for managing activities in the island’s natural spaces, requests public cooperation “in favour of the conservation of the island’s native flora.” The information provided should be taken into account when planning activities in the natural environment, and the affected sectors and their immediate surroundings should be avoided during these muflon control days in Tenerife’s highlands.
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