Area
113,900 m2
Manager
Governmental Body “Teslić Tourism Office“
Location
Teslić
It was first declared as a protected area at the time of Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1960. The government of Republika Srpska confirmed its present status in 2012.
Category
Nature monument- III
Specifics
The main characteristics of Rastuša Cave are its wonderful cave formation and the rich archeological, paleontological and bio-speleological site. It is located 12 kilometers from the town of Teslić near the village of Rastuša. It is a dry cave with spacious tunnels of 440 meters of combined length. Its cave decorations range from flowstones, stalactites to rimstone dams. Other interesting features are cave hieroglyphics called “leopard’s paws” due to its look. While conducting paleontological research, scientists found the remains of a Pleistocene wolf, cave bear, deer, cave lion and rhino. Detailed archeological analysis has backdated the age of stone tools and small pieces of wooden coal to 60,000 years B.C.
Current State
Although all preparations were completed to open the cave for tourism, the cave is under lock and key due to an ongoing property dispute.
Allowed
Scientific research, agricultural production in individual households, raising native deciduous species along with the preservation of native vegetation, construction of new facilities and conducting work with the aim to conserve and protect the natural heritage, road maintenance, keeping the existing road infrastructure and possibly paving only those roads that might lead to a planned parking lot that could connect the settlement and the current special purpose location in accordance with a planning ordinance or some other official document; street lighting in urban areas which can have exclusively landscape character.
Prohibited
Industrial extraction of mineral and non-mineral raw materials on the whole area, unless these are strategic raw materials, primary processing and pre-concentration of raw materials depositing of primary gangue and secondary tailings, as well as communal, industrial and other rubbish or the leftover soil from excavation, the construction of industrial, hydrotechnical, infrastructural and other facilities which might degrade the quality of the soil, waters, air, plant and living species environment, and the landscape’s beauty, cultural heritage and its surroundings, to change the area’s land use designation, except for changes specified in the Manager’s program documents, the construction of agricultural homesteads’ facilities outside existing construction plots, land clearing and forest destruction, ploughing of fields and grazing land.
Related documents
ZAKON O ZAŠTITI PRIRODE REPUBLIKE SRPSKE
ODLUKA O ZAŠTITI SPOMENIKA PRIRODE PEĆINA RASTUŠA
