Şanlıurfa welcomes baby gazelles

Şanlıurfa is the top Turkish home for gazelles, which live in rare parts of the world. Their numbers have increased since protection measures were taken in the 75th Year Gazelle Reproduction Station in the city. 

The gazelles’ Kuılkuyu Wildlife Development Field lies on an area of some 205,000 decares, and some of the gazelles have GPS devices which provide information about their behavior and movement. As their birth season has begun, baby gazelles have started to appear in the field. 

Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Park 3rd Region Director İsrafil Erdoğan said they have been very successful in their work for the gazelles. 

He said there were some 350 gazelles in the Kızılkuyu field and 772 gazelles have born in the reproduction station since 1998. 

He said that they were fighting to protect gazelles against evil-hearted people, adding, “The birth season of our gazelles has started. We have increased their protection to the highest level. Gazelle babies are not able to leave their place when they are first born. Some bad people who know this come to the field to take these babies. Of course we are in the field to prevent it 24 hours [a day]. We also get support from the gendarmerie. Recently, a hunter group was fined 33,000 Turkish Liras.”