Sea otter spotted in Turkey’s southeast

ŞIRNAK

A sea otter, classified as “near-threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been spotted in the southeastern province of Şırnak near the İkizce Creek at the foot of Mount Judi.

The sea otter caught the eyes of some citizens who were fishing by the creek.

“The foot of Mount Judi has been sheltering endangered species. It is creating a natural balance,” said Mehmet Emin Erkan, the rector of Şırnak University.

Many European scientists have been conducting their research on endangered species at Mount Judi, Erkan said.

“We have been gradually spotting sea otters in the region,” he added.

Since this species of sea otters can be endangered, people need to protect them, according to the professor.

“We need to protect them for the ecological balance, but we unfortunately cannot do this. We need to tell [people] that they are endangered and under protection,” he added.