SAVE Foundation

Turopolje pigs
=> pictures and short report

SAVE Foundation

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picture 1:
Turopolje pig with its characteristic round spots

picture 2:
Turopolje pig refreshing

picture 3:
Turopolje pigs are excellent swimmers in flooded areas; they root in shallow water for food, enjoy cracking large fresh-water mussels and keep the shallows free of vegetation.

picture 4:
Typical pigsties in the meadows of the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje

Photos: Grunenfelder (1, 2, 4), Nature Park (3)

Support:
SAVE Foundation received generously financial support:
for the rescue action:
- Erlenmeyer Foundation, Basel / Schweiz (1993/94)
for the conservation of a nucleus breed:
- Euronatur, Radolfzell / Germany (1994-95)
- Graf Fabrice, von Gundlach & Payne-Smith Foundation, Chur / Switzerland (since 1998)

Odds are in favour of Turopolje Pigs

Turopolje pigs are excellently adapted to their often flooded environment and thus unique. They are able to look for food in the water and sometimes even dive for mussels. Turopolje pigs are probably amongst the last pigs in Europe which still stalk the oak forests accompanying the flooded river valley all around the year. The SAVE-conservation project is now again in the news. The adventurous rescue operations of civil-war times belong to the past, structured breeding is nowadays the rule. The Croatian partner has now created the preconditions necessary for an independent own management of the project. The rough pasture and flooded hard-wood valleys situated between Sisak and Stara Gradiska were fused into the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje which comprises of ca. 500km2. A small and overloaded but functioning park administration was set up. Wild Biologist Goran Gugic who has worked dedicatedly for years on behalf of Euronatur for the establishment of the park, was elected as park director. Gugic also co-ordinated the Turopolje Project of the SAVE Foundation in the region. SAVE congratulates to this great success !

The Nature Park Lonjsko Polje represents a cultivated landscape which was typical for large parts of Central Europe about 100-150 years ago. Today, the flooded river valley sand rough pastures in Lonjsko Polje are the unique "living" example of such a landscape. With the creation of the Nature Park, governmental conservation measures for the Turopolje Pig are reinforced. The breed is the most endangered Croatian livestock species besides the Dubrovnik Pramenka sheep. The park administration has obliged itself to actively support the conservation of Turopolje Pigs and to integrate the pig into the park' conservation concept. The animals proved to be an important factor for the management of the rough pastures: they keep them open. Since the year 2000, funding has been applied for and approved to buy breeding animals and to establish a nucleus-herd owned by the park. SAVE Foundation could hand over its conservation project to the Park's Administration with a safe conscience (Spring 2001).

Turopolje pigs have not been saved for the rest of times, but the park administration will - in co-operation with the responsible Croatian bodies - summon up the necessary forces to reach this aim. We wish them all the best and success for their work! One of the most difficult SAVE-projects finds thus its end. Thank you to all activists involved in the project! Additionally, we would like to especially thank Euronatur for the project-partnership, as well as the Erlenmeyer Foundation and the Graf Fabrice, von Gundlach and Payne-Smith Foundation for their generous financial support.

office(at)save-foundation.net

SAVE Head Office
Joseph-Belli-Weg 5
D-78467 Konstanz
Germany

01.09.08


	Turopolje pigs => pictures and short report
	SAVE Foundation
back to projects	picture 1: Turopolje pig with its characteristic round spots picture 2: Turopolje pig refreshing picture 3: Turopolje pigs are excellent swimmers in flooded areas; they root in shallow water for food, enjoy cracking large fresh-water mussels and keep the shallows free of vegetation. picture 4: Typical pigsties in the meadows of the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje Photos: Grunenfelder (1, 2, 4), Nature Park (3) Support: SAVE Foundation received generously financial support: for the rescue action: - Erlenmeyer Foundation, Basel / Schweiz (1993/94) for the conservation of a nucleus breed: - Euronatur, Radolfzell / Germany (1994-95) - Graf Fabrice, von Gundlach & Payne-Smith Foundation, Chur / Switzerland (since 1998) Odds are in favour of Turopolje Pigs Turopolje pigs are excellently adapted to their often flooded environment and thus unique. They are able to look for food in the water and sometimes even dive for mussels. Turopolje pigs are probably amongst the last pigs in Europe which still stalk the oak forests accompanying the flooded river valley all around the year. The SAVE-conservation project is now again in the news. The adventurous rescue operations of civil-war times belong to the past, structured breeding is nowadays the rule. The Croatian partner has now created the preconditions necessary for an independent own management of the project. The rough pasture and flooded hard-wood valleys situated between Sisak and Stara Gradiska were fused into the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje which comprises of ca. 500km2. A small and overloaded but functioning park administration was set up. Wild Biologist Goran Gugic who has worked dedicatedly for years on behalf of Euronatur for the establishment of the park, was elected as park director. Gugic also co-ordinated the Turopolje Project of the SAVE Foundation in the region. SAVE congratulates to this great success ! The Nature Park Lonjsko Polje represents a cultivated landscape which was typical for large parts of Central Europe about 100-150 years ago. Today, the flooded river valley sand rough pastures in Lonjsko Polje are the unique "living" example of such a landscape. With the creation of the Nature Park, governmental conservation measures for the Turopolje Pig are reinforced. The breed is the most endangered Croatian livestock species besides the Dubrovnik Pramenka sheep. The park administration has obliged itself to actively support the conservation of Turopolje Pigs and to integrate the pig into the park' conservation concept. The animals proved to be an important factor for the management of the rough pastures: they keep them open. Since the year 2000, funding has been applied for and approved to buy breeding animals and to establish a nucleus-herd owned by the park. SAVE Foundation could hand over its conservation project to the Park's Administration with a safe conscience (Spring 2001). Turopolje pigs have not been saved for the rest of times, but the park administration will - in co-operation with the responsible Croatian bodies - summon up the necessary forces to reach this aim. We wish them all the best and success for their work! One of the most difficult SAVE-projects finds thus its end. Thank you to all activists involved in the project! Additionally, we would like to especially thank Euronatur for the project-partnership, as well as the Erlenmeyer Foundation and the Graf Fabrice, von Gundlach and Payne-Smith Foundation for their generous financial support.
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office(at)save-foundation.net SAVE Head Office Joseph-Belli-Weg 5 D-78467 Konstanz Germany		01.09.08