site.btaBulgaria’s Only Tortoise Rehabilitation Centre Raising Funds for Large Species Sector

Bulgaria’s only centre for the rescue and rehabilitation of tortoises is raising funds to expand its large inhabitants' sector. The Centre, located in the coastal village of Banya, is home to several large tortoises, including a representative of the endangered African spurred tortoise, the third largest tortoise species in the world.  

The large tortoises are young but growing quickly in size and weight, some as heavy as 50 kilograms already. That makes it necessary to expand their housing at the Centre, allowing them to enter and exit without the carer’s assistance. The upgraded housing will also provide them with the higher temperature they need at night, especially as the winter season approaches. 

The funds needed for the project are BGN 25,200. Donations can be made via PayPal and the Centre's bank account. 

Europe’s third centre entirely dedicated to tortoises was set up by Ivo Ivanchev in Banya back in 2007. He and his partner Iva Lalovska treated and reintroduced in the wild more than 6,000 tortoises, including from protected species. After Ivanchev’s passing in 2023, Lalovska and her children continued the conservation work. They care not only for injured and sick individuals but also for tortoises whose lasting trauma or too long a life in captivity makes it impossible to survive in the wild. 

Those interested in learning more about tortoise species and in observing their lives from up close, can visit the Centre daily between May and September; calling in advance is required.