Although the Hermann's Tortoise (Testudo hermanni subsp. boettgeri) is strictly protected, the species didn't fully enjoy the biologists' attention, being studied occasionally. The population is declining due to the habitats degradation, killings caused by the local people, cropping for pet animals etc. The mortality is high and it's amplified by the species' biology.

The project aims to reduce threats on the Hermann's tortoise in Romania. The first activity would be to assess the conservation degree that will be submitted to IUCN-Committee, and it will be promoted through the mass media and the project website. The assessment, compulsory for the conservation policies, shall be performed using the IUCN-RAMAS-Red-List software and it will include previous results and new data obtained from the activity regarding the habitats occupation degree. If our previous work focused on the species natural history, the last stage of this flag specie will include mainly work with the communities and the establishment of a sustainable system for reintroduction of the individuals accidentally found outside their habitat (abandoned individuals), who might not resist outside the area (SW-Romania).

So far, without focusing on this aspect and having no plan and quarantine facilities, we faced the situation of reintroducing 21 individuals. We will establish a procedure and purchase equipment in order to save as many individuals as possible. We will establish a special site for species determination and the procedures to follow, in order to discourage the abandon and to avoid species confusions. Educational campaign shall be extensive, trying to consolidate the local population awareness.

The activity shall focus on school meetings, CD-ROM production "Hermann's tortoise needs your help", webpage update with recent information and results. A quarantine area shall be created for the abandoned tortoises that we find and a reintroduction protocol. All activities will be disseminated in local and national media. The webpage will include a section for the people to know how to act when they find/abandon tortoises in order to be able to save as many individuals as possible.