‘Fojos’ are old structures that served to trap wolves. This animal, now protected, was for centuries the object of persecution motivated by a fear instilled in the local inhabitants who frequently saw their flocks being attacked by the feared wolf. These structures that are now a symbol of local culture are found only in the North of the Iberian Peninsula and in two main forms: a fojo with convergent walls and the ‘fojo de cabrita’.

The Portela da Fairra fojo is an example of the ‘fojo de cabrita’, distinct from most of the fojos present in the National Park which are of converging walls. Its structure is approximately circular with granite walls; inside would be placed a goat as a bait to attract the predator, the wolf. It was not necessary, therefore, to drive the wolf into the trap, as would be the case with a fojo of converging walls.