MAMMAL

TRACKS &

SIGNS

Please refer to

The Walking Trails of Glendalough leaflet for a full

trail description

Wicklow Mountains National Park is managed by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (part of the Department of the

Environment, Heritage & Local Government).

www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie

www.npws.ie

Education Centre

National Parks & Wildlife Service, Wicklow

Mountains National Park, Kilafin, Laragh, Co.

Wicklow.

Tel: 0404 45656

Fax: 0404 45710

Email:

wickloweducationcentre@environ.ie

the upper lake, you’ll find pine cones(8)

on the path that have been gnawed and

stripped by red squirrels, who eat the pine seeds in the cones. Squirrels’ front teeth are

always growing so they keep gnawing things to

wear them down.

When you reach the Miners’ Village, look up

at the rocky slopes above for herds of feral

goats(7). These are descended from farm

goats who escaped and now live in the wild.

They have flexible hoof pads that grip the

rocks so they climb easily and fearlessly.

Returning to the Information Office, look for

bat droppings below the lake side

windows(9). During the summer, the attic

is home to a large maternity roost of

pipistrelle bats(10).

Want to discover more about mammals?

Please see Mammals of the Wicklow

Mountains National Park leaflet (50 cents).

Mammal Tracks & Signs

This 5km walk starts and finishes at the

Information Office and follows the Miners’

Road Walk. This route is waymarked with

purple arrows, is graded ‘easy’ & takes about

1 hour.

You won’t see our mammals as often or as

easily as our birds. They are shy and mostly

come out at night or when we are not

around. So we look for the tracks and signs

they leave behind.

Start at the abandoned badger sett(1)

opposite the Information office and to the

right of the small car park. The badgers(2)

left long ago so it is OK to approach. A ‘live’

sett with badgers in should never be

disturbed. Look under the multi-stemmed

hazel trees(3) for hazelnuts that have big

holes gnawed in them by woodmice(4), or

that have been cracked in half by red

squirrels(5). Can you tell which ate the

nuts you find?

When crossing the lawns look for the foot

prints and droppings left by the deer(6)

and goats(7). They have small cloven

hooves and leave heart-shaped prints. The

droppings are small and dark and full of

digested grass. Break one open with a stick

to see inside. You might also find clumps of

grey or brown hair from the deer left lying

around.

On the Miners’ Road (purple arrows) beside

Wicklow Mountains National Park

Purple

Walking

Trail

Legend

P

i

E

Car Park

Wicklow

Mountains

National Park

Information

Office

Education Centre

Purple Route 500 metres

N

E

1,2,3,

4,5 & 9

6,7

8 7

5

6 Stag 6 Hind 7 8 5

1 2 3

4 4

9 10