Wildlife is dwindling amid urbanization and other man-made factors but hope prevails against extinction due to exertion of several organizations and countries. Turkey for his part, marks World Wildlife Day, observed on 3rd of March, with pride of have saved four species on the edge of extinction. Wildlife breeding stations across the country give them a safe environment thrive and intervention in the case of injured animals that are treated and released back in nature also contribute to preservation efforts.
Breeding stations across Anatolia run by management of Protection of nature and natural parks of the Ministry of Agriculture and forestry put an end to worries for Wild Anatolian sheep, gazelles, European fallow deer and bald ibis and saved them from extinction.
Turkey has declared 85 areas across the country as “wildlife development areas” and actively protects the animals there, in a area covering more more than 1.1 million hectares (2.72 millions of acres). Wildlife areas are home to various species, from the aforementioned animals to waterfowl, wild goats, striped hyenas, capercaillie, pheasant, desert monitor lizard, caracal, Euphrates softshell turtle and brown bear.
Thirteen breeding stations meet the needs of wild species across the country. In the past five years, 1,104 animals were born in these stations, all from endangered species ranging from fallow deer to bald ibis. After spending their early days in stations, they are released in nature. Between 2003 and 2020, 1,869 animals were released into nature after their birth in these stations. The bald ibis was at the worst state of them, in terms of extinction. There were only 42 bald ibises in the country in 2000 and this number, like of February, increased to 300, thanks to a breeding station set up in their homeland Birecik, a city in southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.
When in natural animals are not abandoned to their fate. Both the ministry of Agriculture and forestry as well as other public agencies, local governments and charities provide food for wild animals, especially during the winter when they have little access to food and water. Ministry teams left 1.7 million kilos (1,873 tons) of food for animals in one year.
Wild animals also find refuge in veterinary clinics run by management of Protection of nature and natural parks, which treated some 5,450 wild animals last year and released them into nature.
