Right at the start of the construction of Ecopark Vaya in 2015, one of our first conservation activities was the creation of a specially designated island for land tortoises.
This place was made with a clear purpose: to provide a quiet, protected and suitable environment for the tortoises that live in the area, as well as for those that over the years have been rescued from roads and moved to a safer place.
Land tortoises are among the most recognisable wild animals in Bulgaria, but they are also highly vulnerable. Two species occur here: the spur-thighed tortoise and Hermann’s tortoise. Both are protected by law. They move slowly, live long and play an important role in nature, but it is precisely their slow pace that makes them especially endangered when crossing roads, and by fire, construction, pollution and the destruction of their habitats.
The island in Ecopark Vaya was created to allow these animals to live in a calmer environment, to feed, hide, nest and lay their eggs. Over the years many tortoises rescued from roads, where they often fall victim to cars or human carelessness, have been moved there.
For us, every rescued tortoise matters. When such an animal is moved from a dangerous place, it is not just a single act of help. It is a chance for it to go on living, to breed and to remain part of the living nature around Vaya.
This island was created with our own funds, personal labour and constant care. It was not part of a big campaign or external funding, but of the kind of work that often remains invisible yet lies at the heart of true nature conservation.
Since 2015 Ecopark Vaya has been built not only as a place for people, but also as a refuge for wild animals. The island for land tortoises is one of the early examples of this: a concrete action, taken in time, with care for protected species and with the future in mind.
Today it remains part of the history of Ecopark Vaya and of our long-standing work to protect wildlife.
Project summary
Project: Island for land tortoises
Year: 2015
Location: Ecopark Vaya
Activity: creating a protected habitat, care for land tortoises, relocating tortoises rescued from roads
Funding: own funds and volunteer work
Status: completed
Photo: Luca Ambrosi / Unsplash