Tarpan days in the Eastern Rhodopes

information by tmbulgaria.com

Eastern Rhodopes will host a unique fest - Days devoted to tarpans (wild horses) on 27, 28 and 29 April 2012 near the village of Sbor, Krumovgrad Municipality.
The Tarpan days are organized by the Dutch-Bulgarian project New Thracian Gold (NTG). Tarpans live in the village since September 2011. They have been reintroduced in the Eastern Rhodopes with the support of NTG.

Bulgarian and Dutch experts and young eco volunteers will explain to visitors the role of the trapans in nature. They will answer questions about this reintroduction, the daily and seasonal life of the horses and the future expectations of the project.

While traveling in the region you can see also vultures in Madzharovo, deer in the hunting reserve Studen Kladenets, wild orchids flowering near Ivaylovgrad, Karakachan horses near the village of Pelevun, the organic model farm in Topolovo.

12 tarpans were brought from the Netherlands in Spetember 2012. They were reintroduced in the area of Krumovgrad, Eastern Rhodopes. During their first year in Bulgaria they are in an enclosed area to become habituated to Eastern Rhodopean nature. In the autumn they are expected to be released.

Tarpans have a reputation of being tough and easily adapted to the harsh conditions of semi-open landscapes. Towards humans tarpans expose their quiet, inquisitive and well-intentioned character. The total number of tarpans in the world at this moment is around 4000, almost half of them are in the Netherlands. Dutch Tarpans have been reintroduced in Latvia, England, France, Belgium and Germany and everywhere they became a tourist attraction.

Bringing Tarpans to the Eastern Rhodopes is part of the wilderness restoration plans of the NTG project. Three herds of the rare Rhodope Shorthorn cattle and a herd of Karakachan horses are already raised in the region in a semi-natural way. Red deer is under reintroduction in the hunting reserve Studen Kladenets. Reintroduction of European bison is planned, as well.