Resen, 21 May 2022 (MIA) – There are few places in nature that have never felt a human’s touch. A group of European scientists, organized by the Macedonian Ecological Society (MED), have been researching one such piece of nature for the past 15 years – the Macedonian island Golem Grad, situated in the waters of Lake Prespa. Golem Grad is the last hideout of nature. It’s easy to see that it looks ancient. The trees are old, the surface is covered in rocks strewn about in the same way as they were when they first washed up on the shore, and there are countless turtles, snakes, and birds. This can be seen in the filmed material as well, which was recently promoted by MED – Skopje, within the project titled “Preserving biodiversity in Prespa”, funded by the Prespa – Ohrid and the Aage B. Jensen Foundations and supported by Euronatur. “I’ve always wanted to come to Golem Grad, even as a child, maybe in the early 90s when my parents brought me there on a field trip. I heard they call it ‘Snake Island’ and I’ve been chasing after snakes, lizards, turtles and such. It made sense I’d visit a place called ‘Snake Island’,” says Dragan Arsovski, project coordinator of MED, adding that any visitors to Golem Grad should enjoy the sights and avoid damaging the island, and to especially avoid touching, stealing or harming young turtles. According to research by scientists from the country and abroad, alongside turtles, there are thousands of snakes, reptiles and birds on Golem Grad. It’s referred to as the European nature diamond in the rough, reminiscent of the early days of the Earth. “My first time seeing Golem Grad was 15 years ago, and I’ve yet to see a nature system like it, full of peace and beauty, unique not only to Macedonia, but to all of Europe, I’m sure. It has one of the densest populations of forest turtles in the world, who live a simple life, giving us a chance to see turtles with no fat tissue. They are a true perpetuum mobile. It’s astonishing how they live normal lives with so little food, no water because they don’t need much of it, yet they move around, mate, and do normal things. They’re incredible! It’s hard to believe that a living being can survive with so little. These turtles are the perfect species. When we first came here to do research, there were around 10,000 snakes here, hence the nickname ‘Snake Island’, but illegal fishing caused their numbers to drop, but these numbers can go up again if illegal fishing stops,” says Ljiljana Tomovic, professor at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Biology. Golem Grad has the densest population of vipers. Over 600 vipers have been marked, and there are an estimated 1500-1800 of them living on a surface of 18 hectares, which means that 100 dwarf vipers live on 1 hectare, which is ‘incredible’ population density, according to scientists. “Vipers on Golem Grad have an interesting diet, and I hope to see how their venom differs from other land vipers,” says Margareta Lakusic from the University of Belgrade. Doctor Xavier Bone of the French Scientific Research Center describes Golem Grad as a ‘carpet of turtles and snakes’. “This is a true paradise,” Bone says for this Macedonian natural rarity, somewhat surprised that people haven’t harmed this wildlife yet. MED’s dedication to Golem Grad is great, especially when it comes to preserving the population that exists on this island “The survival rate for female turtles is drastically low. Each year, according to our estimates, 20% of adult females don’t survive. This is unsustainable, and we only found out after putting together the whole puzzle. On the other hand, 97% of males survive, which is to be expected of an organism that lives for such a long time. The island is also under threat of unorganized tourist visits and illegal fishing, which requires clear preventive measures,” says project coordinator Dragan Arsovski. Golem Grad, the last hideout of nature, gives off a feeling of healing powers with its variety of wildlife and natural beauty, according to the video’s director and editor George Stamkoski, and Toni Stojanovski, the cameraman in charge of the visual aspect of the project. Frosina Pandurska-Dramikakjin, the author of the video, the field visits of these unique places document the dedication of the research team, and the musical illustration by multimedia artist Dejan Spasovikj fully captures this ‘mythical place’ to the audience. That’s why, the MED says, everyone should see this video for themselves. https://youtu.be/J1xPwiwhJmo   Marjan Tanushevski Translated by Dragana Knezhevikj