Tortoise Institute of Montenegro

The Tortoise Institute of Montenegro (T.I.Me) has been founded to help safeguard wild populations of Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri and T.h. hercegovinensis), European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) and Balkan pond turtle (Mauremys caspica rivulata) in Montenegro, through habitat protection and management, in-situ research and the future establishment of breeding colonies in captivity.

The country is currently experiencing extremely high levels of tourism and property development, particularly throughout the coastal belt, leading to the wholesale destruction of tortoise and turtle habitat. Additionally, widescale pollution, burning, collecting of animals by tourists and a lack of national protection of suitable habitat look to be resulting in dramatic population crashes in all three species.

One of our most important tasks in conserving Montenegrin tortoises and freshwater turtles is by collecting as much population and distribution data as possible throughout the country.

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