The wolf is one of the species that cause the most heated discussions about environmental protection. After the resurgence of the wolf population in the Bieszczady Mountains and the Low Beskids, discussions about the reducing the number of these predators began again. There are less than 800 individual wolves in Poland, most of which live in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains. Until the end of the 1960s, the presence of wolves was recorded in all major forest complexes in this area, but since 1966, when the last female was killed, wolves have been absent from Podgórze, but have appeared regularly in the Brzanka Mountain Range since 1998. Since 2005, wolves have appeared sporadically in these areas, and individuals that showed a tendency to occupy permanent territories disappeared quite quickly, most likely lost to poaching. Hunters in these regions are increasingly of the opinion that, with some control, stable groups of this beautiful and mysterious predator could be maintained.

The wildcat is one of the most important symbols of the lost fauna of the Ciężkowice Piedmont. Compared to other regions, it survived for a relatively long time here, until at least the mid-1960s. As early as in the 18th century, it was rare and only found in the western part of the country, and today no more than two hundred individuals live in the eastern part of the Polish Carpathians. The wildcats found in these areas had a relatively high genetic purity. An assessment of the skins and skulls of the cats hunted in the 1950s near Ciężkowice showed that they were among the closest to the pure form of the wildcat, as compared to individuals from elsewhere in the country. At that time, the genetic purity of Polish wildcats was estimated at a maximum of 63%. It was interbreeding with the domestic cat and hunting that were the main reasons for the wildcat’s extinction. Until the mid-1980s, feral cats with an admixture of wildcat blood were still found in the local woods; although they had a beige-yellow coat and a distinctive pattern of stripes and spots, their tail was always narrow and not widening, and they were probably smaller in size.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the lynx was only found in the Białowieża Forest and parts of the Carpathian Mountains due to the very heavy hunting of these animals. In 1931, a lynx protection period was introduced and their numbers gradually increased until the 1980s. They re-emerged in the north-eastern refugium and even appeared west of the Vistula River. Hunting resumed in the 1980s, resulting in a rapid decline in their numbers, only to be placed under species protection again in 1995. Occasionally, the lynx spontaneously returns to its former territory, but the Piedmont has unfortunately lost the habitats to which it could return permanently. The main reasons are poaching and the lack of an adequate feeding base.

The brown bear is consistently found only in a few refugia of the Carpathian Mountains. The Polish bear population was particularly threatened just after the First World War, when there were only a dozen or so individuals living in the Tatra Mountains. Unfortunately, the fragmentation and penetration of Poland’s forests has virtually ruled out the return of the bear to most of its former range. However, it is not uncommon for single individuals to undertake long-distance migrations. Such an unexpected visit to this area was paid by a bear in 1993. Before it was captured and moved to a safe place, it managed to reach a village near Tarnów.

A sensational appearance of a European bison in this area took place in 1995, when a lost individual arrived in one of the villages located near Czarna Tarnowska. This endangered species experienced a dramatic decline in numbers after the First World War. German troops occupying the Białowieża Forest shot 600 bison for meat, hides and horns. Attempts to explain that the bison were facing total and immediate extinction of the species failed. By the end of the war, the Germans shot most of the bison; nine individuals remained. At the time, there were 66 bison worldwide. The reintroduction work carried out in the following years was largely successful thanks to the work of Polish breeders. Currently, the world population of the European bison numbers around 3,500 individuals, and its most important refugium in Poland is the Białowieża Forest. Due to genetic impoverishment and dispersal of isolated herds, bison conservation still requires special efforts.