In celebration of World Turtle Day – 23 of May, the Deliblato Lake Sport Fishing Association, protected area manager of the Kraljevac Special Nature Reserve, organized an event bringing together nature lovers and campaign supporters to celebrate our shared success with “Kornjača Spornjača”, right where it all began.
Last weekend, as part of the event, a special program dedicated to European pond turtles and their protection was held at the Kraljevac Special Nature Reserve. While children had fun with engaging workshops, interactive lectures, quizzes and the game “Turtle Hunt” opportunity to learn about European pond turtles and observe them up close in their natural habitat, visitors of all ages enjoyed walks and time by the lake, boat rides, and delicious homemade specialties. It was a day full of learning, play, and excitement, with many children experiencing these unusual and important wetland inhabitants for the very first time.
Just a few days later, herpetologists in the same protected area successfully fitted GPS trackers on female pond turtles preparing to lay eggs. The installation of these devices mark an important step toward gaining better insights into their biology and enhancing protection measures. By monitoring their movements through the GPS system, we’ll gain valuable data and precise insights into how pond turtles move through the Kraljevac Special Nature Reserve, where females choose to lay their eggs, and the challenges they encounter along the way. All of this will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of this strictly protected species and help us plan more effective conservation strategies – both for the turtles themselves and for the nature reserve they inhabit.
The “Kornjaca Spornjaca” campaign has shown that when science, citizens, and nature lovers come together, new possibilities emerge for the protection of endangered areas and biodiversity. Caring for and protecting nature is a shared responsibility, and your contribution to this campaign has proven just that.
We thank everyone who supported the campaign—without you, this would not have been possible! Our activities continue, so follow our work on our website and social media, where we regularly share news, photos, and updates from the field.
