Rescued wild animals safe in Antalya
ANTALYA
The wild animals that are forbidden to be sold and seized by the Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) are living safely in the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Zoo and Nature Park, where they were brought after being seized.
The DKMP officials, who seize the undocumented animals that are brought to country illegally, take them under protection in the zoo in the southern province of Antalya, to ensure a safe life.
Different species such as corn snake, albino python, Macaw parrot, cockatoo parrot, lovebird, iguana, which have been delivered to the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Zoo and Nature Park in previous years, live freely in the safe areas of the zoo.
Recently, 13 cockatoo parrots, 12 lovebirds, a Pakistani parrot and six goldfinches have been seized by DKMP teams and now continue living with other birds in the zoo.
Aygül Arsun, the manager of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Zoo and Nature Park, said that poultry and reptiles are the most illegally traded animals.
“Animals such as birds, which are seized before being illegally sold, are our guests here. Special documents are needed when transporting and caring for such exotic animals. If these documents are missing, the DKMP rescue these animals. Then they are taken under our protection, where they live in our care and under our supervision,” she said.
Arsun said that generally primates and reptiles are sold illegally, adding, “DKMP works very hard and monitors this issue. We also thank them. Parrots and goldfinches have come here recently. Before them, a corn snake, an albino python, three green monkeys and a baboon were brought to our zoo to ensure their survival.”
The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Zoo and Nature Park, which is one of the largest zoos in Türkiye with its wide natural habitats, is also home to 185 parrots of 15 species. Parrots draw attention with their imitation features and colorful feathers in the zoo, where around 1,500 animals from approximately 135 species are living.
