Herds of wolves, very present in the mountains since ancient times, were losing members during the 20th century until they became threatened with extinction. They are known as Foxos (pits) of the wolf for the traditional traps, with centuries of history, used by the natives to hunt this totemic animal for agricultural crops. In the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula there are more than 200 ditches, ranging from holes in the ground covered with vegetation to complex structures with hundreds of meters of narrowing walls.

In this case, the one in Guende has a perimeter of up to 200 meters and a wall height of two meters. In 2018, the Municipality of Lobios started the recovery and reconstruction work, also seeking to understand this type of practice. To reach this Foxo, an 8 km pedestrian route was marked, starting from the village itself, with images created by the artist Toño Monteiro and information panels (with figures of wolves) that provide visitors with a view of the main heritage resources in the area. All of this is located in the heart of the Baixa Limia Natural Park – Serra do Xurés, and the Gerês-Xurés cross-border Biosphere Reserve (RBTGX)

The wolf trap of Guende has been called the “goat trap”, referring to the prey used to lure the predator. After placing the goat inside the circle, the wolf jumped down a ramp to catch it, but couldn’t get out due to the 3 meters of wall situated behind it. The restoration of these ditches is part of an Interreg European cross-border project that included 6 more ditches on the Portuguese side.