The first wildlife care center in Var
The association TOTEM PACA has launched construction of Var's first wildlife care center, set to open in early 2027.
This is news that wildlife advocates in Var have been waiting for for years. The association TOTEM PACA has announced the launch of its multi-species care center project, at the foot of the La Colle Noire massif.
As the building permit is free of any recourse, preliminary studies are underway for an opening planned for early 2027.
A health vacuum
Until now, Var, despite its exceptional ecological richness, did not have any facility of this type. Yet the region is home to 85% of mammal species in continental France, more than two-thirds of reptiles, and more than half of bird species.
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When a wild animal was found in distress, it had to be transported to the LPO centers in Vaucluse or Instinct Animal in Alpes-Maritimes. These long journeys, sources of intense stress, reduced the chances of survival for hundreds of animals every year.
The figures bear witness to the urgency of the situation. In 2025, the SOS Faune Sauvage telephone line of TOTEM PACA received more than 2,400 calls. The trend is accelerating, with 650 calls recorded in the first quarter of 2026 alone, confirming a glaring need in the area.
An ambitious project
The future center will be located on a one-hectare plot of land, owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, made available to the association through a thirty-year occupancy agreement signed in April 2025, ensuring the project's sustainability until 2055.
The site includes two buildings of 300 m² each, which will house treatment rooms, a surgery unit, and hospitalization spaces. Aviaries, enclosures, and outdoor pools will also be built.
The opening will take place in stages. The center will initially accommodate swifts, swallows, hedgehogs, waterbirds, and reptiles. Care will then be extended to bats, passerines, and raptors.
Ultimately, TOTEM PACA aims to become the regional reference facility for the care of waterbirds in the event of accidental marine pollution, under the Plan Polmar, a mission for which no solution currently exists.
“No other facility in the region cares for waterbirds and seabirds. The needs are enormous. This project responds to a real necessity for the biodiversity of our territory — and we are determined to see it through,” declared Alice Brunet, veterinarian and president of TOTEM PACA.
The project cost is estimated at €1.2 million. The first phase of the works, valued at approximately €450,000, is half-funded thanks to the support of public partners (État, Région Sud) and private sponsors (Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Vinci, Ragni).
To complete the budget, a crowdfunding campaign will be launched in autumn 2026.
Photo DR.