Eastern Türkiye steps up efforts on poaching

VAN

In an ongoing effort to protect rich, vivacious wildlife, Turkish officials have carried out significant inspections against illegal hunting in the country’s East Anatolia region in the last 12 months.

Boasting wetlands, mountains, plains, plateaus, lakes and a rich flora diversity, the region is home to a wide variety of wild animals.

Striving to protect this rich population, teams from the country’s official nature conservation body, DKMP, have inspected a total of 4,299 hunters since last year in the eastern provinces of Van, Hakkari, Muş, Siirt and Bitlis.

Monitoring and controlling poaching activities through such inspections, officials imposed hefty fines totaling over 5.6 million Turkish Liras for 288 poachers caught violating the law.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Melikunnas Özkaya, the regional director of DKMP, underlined their excessive endeavors in this direction, reaffirming that the climate and location of the region contribute to its abundant animals and plants.

"Even in the face of severe snow and challenging conditions, we are committed to tracking down those who are hunting illegally,” Özkaya explained. “We monitor the mountains, plains and wetlands using binoculars, and for the more remote, higher elevations, we rely on drones to carry out effective surveillance and control.”

Özkaya also highlighted the positive impact of their efforts, noting an increase in wildlife populations in the area due to the rigorous enforcement of laws and conservation measures.

In addition to patrolling for poachers, the teams also been focused on rehabilitating injured animals, according to Özkaya.

Thanks to collaboration with the wildlife protection center from the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, in 2024 alone, 768 injured wild animals were rescued, with 430 successfully treated and returned to their natural habitats.

This year, a total of 22 animals have been treated, with 17 having already been released back into the wild.

With each passing day, the dedicated teams continue to make strides in both preventing illegal hunting and aiding in the rehabilitation of injured wildlife, maintaining the balance of the region’s unique ecosystem and ensuring that future generations can savor the region’s natural heritage.