Increase in Wildlife Observed with Forest Entry Bans in 2021
Following the major fires that broke out in 53 provinces in the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara, Western Black Sea and Southeastern Anatolia Regions in 2021, citizens were prohibited from entering forests. This decision has been implemented in many provinces of Turkey during the summer months through governorships since 2021.
Entry to Forests Prohibited in 3 Major Provinces
Finally, in the summer months of this year, entry to forests in 39 provinces of Turkey was banned until mid-autumn. While entry to forests in Istanbul will be banned until October 15, the ban in Ankara will continue until September 30 and in Izmir until October 31.
“There Has Been an Increase in Wildlife”
Nurettin Kadim, Chief of Soğuksu National Park in Kızılcahamam district of Ankara, affiliated with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, stated that they observed wildlife through camera traps in the wildlife location. Kadim said in a statement, “As far as we have observed, there has been an increase in wildlife.”
“An Increase in Bear and Pig Populations Was Observed”
Kadim said in his statement, “We are observing an increase in the bear and boar population, thanks to the images captured by camera traps. In terms of wildlife, we provide feed supplements to all animals in difficult winter conditions. We provide all the support we can in terms of feeding wildlife animals in difficult winter conditions.”
“The Ban Made Animals More Comfortable”
Stating that the ban on entering the forests protects wildlife and provides great benefits, Kadim said, “Naturally, since it reduces human pressure on the forests, it has caused the natural habitats of the animals to expand a little more and they can move more freely. Therefore, we can say that there has been an increase in the wildlife population here.”
“When You Encounter Wild Animals, You Should Move Away Immediately”
Ancient, who emphasized that one should be careful with wild animals, stated that one should immediately move away when encountering animals. Kadim added that when the frequency and location of images of animals caught in camera traps were examined, there were significant increases in wildlife.
