Turkish center treats birds, releases them back to wild
ŞANLIURFA - Anadolu Agency
A center focused on saving southeastern Turkey's wilderness areas released 10 rare birds to their natural habitat on Dec. 12.
The Gölpınar Wilderness Rescue and Rehab Center in Turkey's Şanlıurfa province has been treating the birds --including a
vulture, a barn owl and a hawk -- for around four months.
İsrafil Erdoğan, a local official of Turkey's General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, told Anadolu Agency the center has been operating for around five years and has treated hundreds of birds so far.
“Our teams at the center take a close interest in animals. We release the animals to their natural environment after completion of treatment,” Erdoğan said.
“We [also] look after some animals for a lifetime whose natural habitats we believe no longer exist,” he added. Erdoğan said the center's aim is to “provide better living conditions for the animals that share nature with us”.
Reşat Ektiren, a veterinarian, said the center has released hundreds of animals back into the wild following their rehabilitation.
