Türkiye Returns 11,000 Rehabilitated Wild Animals to Nature
Türkiye Releases 11,000 Rehabilitated Wild Animals in 2025
ANKARA — Wildlife conservation teams in Türkiye treated and released 11,000 wild animals back into their natural habitats in 2025, according to the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks.
Kadir Cokcetin, the director general, stated that this effort is part of a long-term initiative, with nearly 73,000 wild animals rehabilitated and released between 2012 and 2024. Animals affected by natural disasters, injuries, disease, or exhaustion are treated and returned to the wild after comprehensive rehabilitation.
Nationwide Rehabilitation Network
The directorate now operates specialized rehabilitation centers in 11 provinces. These facilities provide:
- Emergency care and surgical interventions.
- Intensive care units for critical patients.
- Species-specific behavioral programs to ensure survival skills are retained.
Before release, each animal undergoes rigorous health checks and disease screenings. Post-release monitoring is conducted using methods such as:
- Tagging and banding.
- Electronic transmitters for tracking movement and adaptation.
Breeding Programs for Biodiversity
Beyond rehabilitation, active breeding programs support ecosystem health. Partridge and pheasant stations in several provinces release birds to achieve two primary goals:
- Strengthen native wildlife populations.
- Aid in natural pest control, reducing the need for pesticides.
"Since early last year, 36,250 partridges and 9,000 pheasants have been released into suitable habitats," noted the directorate's report.
This brings the total game bird releases since the program's expansion to a significant number, contributing directly to agricultural and natural ecosystem balance.
A Call for Public Vigilance
Director General Cokcetin concluded with an urgent appeal to the public. He emphasized the importance of community involvement in conservation:
- Immediately report any instances of illegal hunting to authorities.
- Avoid removing young animals from the wild unnecessarily. Often, parents are nearby, and human intervention can do more harm than good.
For technical reporting, the public is directed to use official channels, which can be found under reference codes NCAP-REPORT-WILD and NCAP-EMERGENCY on the directorate's website.
The consistent annual release figures demonstrate Türkiye's growing capacity and commitment to wildlife conservation and ecological restoration.
