Location: Village Banya, Municipality Nessebar, Bulgaria
In June 2008 Gea Chelonia Foundation initiated a project aiming to work for the protection and conservation of tortoises and their habitats in the Eastern Eminska Mountains, through direct conservation measures, sustainable ecotourism development and popularization of the activities. The project provides unique combination of the first Tortoise Centre for reproduction and rehabilitation of tortoises with a Visitors Centre that will open to tourists and schoolchildren on September 10, 2010.
The project is focused on the conservation of the two tortoise species inhabiting Bulgarian territory - Testudo graeca ibera and Testudo hermanni boettgeri. Despite their ubiquitous occurrence in the past, the populations of both species have been critically reduced nowadays. Currently both species are listed in the IUCN red list: Testudo graeca – vulnerable and Testudo hermanni – nearly threatened (IUCN - 2004).
The habitat deterioration due to the expanding resort construction and tourist pressure, especially along the Black Sea Coast, the collection for human consumption and for the pet trade, the introduction of intensive agriculture causing substantial habitat alteration, the rising number of free-ranging pigs, jackals and wild boars, the lack of effective conservation measures and actions, and the long recruitment period within tortoise populations, have resulted in considerable negative tendency upon the distribution and abundance of tortoises and in some areas have led to their disappearance.
One of the adequate decisions for these problems is the implementation of the concrete conservation measures along with the sustainable development and appropriate popularization of the actions.
Unfortunately, no matter that both species of land tortoises are with the highest protection by the Bulgarian legislation, until now official authorities haven't provided enough conditions for organized, specific actions for their preservation, stabilization and scientific research.
The urgent necessity for the effective protection and conservation of these species in Bulgaria inspired Ivo Ivanchev in April 2007 to create "Gea Chelonia Foundation" - the first non-profit organization in Bulgaria dedicated to chelonian conservation and research. Gea Chelonia's Major activities of the project are: field inventories for designation of threatened but still well preserved habitats in the region; creating GIS data base; establishing partnership with local authority, local community, NGOs, schools, media; Nature conservation and educational activities; Construction and opening of a Visitor Centre and ecotrail; promotional and media campaign.
As a response to the rising need of wide-ranging conservation measures along with the involvement of the local community, the project envisages the establishment of a Visitor Centre. Through attracting visitors and offering additional tourist products and services, the Centre will affect incomes of local households. It will work for better environmental understanding and regional biodiversity care. The Tortoise Centre's land is partially divided into enclosures for the separation of species, and males from females, as well as for other occasions when separation is necessary. Enclosures are provided with natural and artificial hiding places, and are observed daily. There is adequate living space in which natural food items like those in the wild are available to the tortoises. Fresh water is made available on a daily basis, and special care, when necessary, is provided. In such artificial conditions, tortoises reproduce and overwinter successfully, with minimal human intervention.
In Bulgaria and surely elsewhere, great numbers of tortoises are often released at an inappropriate time of year and/or in inappropriate habitats following their confiscation or voluntary donation to authorities. Often they are in poor physical condition, and their release will lead to certain death. Unfortunately, officials in Bulgaria responsible for such activities lack adequately trained staff. One of the goals of the Centre is to diminish this problem by providing the physical evaluation of each rescued tortoise, and subsequent treatment when necessary prior to release. Incorrect husbandry practices often result in injuries, poor health, excessive parasite load, etc. Often such debilitated or damaged tortoises can be rehabilitated and included in the captive breeding program, if there is reason not to release them. A suitable indoor facility is used for controlled hibernation of young and unfit specimens, which require that their condition be regularly checked. During the active season the same facility is used for keeping young and sick tortoises overnight or during unfavorable weather, or for medical treatment and other such occasions as needed. Housing conditions of hatchlings and juveniles up to the age of three years are close to natural ones, but with added safety measures-- small enclosures covered with safety nets to prevent predation.
All tortoises released are first marked according to established field techniques, and important data on each specimen is stored in the Centre's data base. Captive-bred tortoises are released into suitable areas after having attained three years of age, when they are relatively safe from predation, and when sex determination is usually possible. If the source or the region where the specimen had been taken from the wild remains unknown, it is released in a carefully selected area enjoying protected status, and where tortoise populations need restoration and stabilization.
Centre for reproduction and rehabilitation of tortoises in Banya village is the only one of its kind. It has been officially approved by the Ministry of Environment and Waters of Bulgaria at the end of 2007.
In May 2009 the Small Grants Programme, Bulgaria granted an amount of USD 50 000 to Gea Chelonia Foundation for the project "Conservation of land tortoises and their habitats in the Eastern Eminska Mountains, through direct conservation measures, sustainable ecotourism development and popularization of the activities". The Foundation will co-finance the activities of the project with approximately the same amount of money from its own funds – cash co-financing of USD 47997 and in-kind co-financing of USD 6353.
The current project plans to apply nature-friendly approach to ecotourism and environmental education development, thus contributing to conservation of species of national and worldwide significance.
Contact: Mr. Ivo Ivanchev, Project Manager | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | tel. +359 886 913 916 | Visit Gea Chelonia Foundation