The spur-thighed tortoise, Testudo graeca,  (still) appears at the status “vulnerable” at the vulnerable list of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . However, the growing threats on the survival of this species (eg. urbanization, new asphalt roads, illegal and legal pet trade, tortoise collections by hobbyists etc), raised the need to set a program that aims to “stabilize” and prevent the decline of the spur-thighed tortoise populations in Israel.

Recently, a notion has been raised by Dr. Yariv Melihi from The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and his collaborators, the two group leaders and educators, Mr. Ben Devash and Mr. Rony Shoshan from The Hakfar Hayarok (“The Green Village”) to create a rescue and rehabilitation center where wild-caught (WC), captive raised spur-thighed tortoise will be collected from their owners, placed at large arenas for acclimation before their reintroduction back to nature.

The rationale of the project is to reduce the WC populations of these tortoises at private owners sites and to release them back at their original home area.

A collaboration has been established with the ICTC  (https://theictc.com/) that will provide scientific guidance to the project and veterinary care to unhealthy tortoises. The students from the “The Green Village” have been assigned to design the structure of the semi-natural arenas, and will be responsible to document each tortoise from the moment it would arrive to the center, until it’s will be released back to nature. 

The project received the approval of The Israel Nature and Parks Authority and is supported by the Authority.

June 2014- The first stock of tortoises arrived from private collectors. The tortoises aimed to be released back to nature at the following winter season  after an acclimation in our facility.

Spring 2015
The last step- release back to green parks

A hundred and fifty Testudo graeca tortoises, were chosen from the rest of the tortoises at the acclimation center. They were placed apart and relocated to the release sight. This release will be followed by the release of the other tortoises in the center.