Turkey
Turkey is part of both Asia and Europe and is surrounded by four seas. As a result, its marine life is diverse and very abundant. Some areas of Turkey are the destination of many tour packages from countries such as the United Kingdom, Scandinavian countries and Germany. As a consequence, tourist attractions with animals are increasing. In the wild, Turkey is home to the brown bear, wild boar and lynx.
Turkey is estimated to have more species of animals (80,000) than the rest of Europe (60,000). Bears, wolves, hyenas, eagles – all of them live here. The problem is that only 1% of the national territory is dedicated to protected areas, so the chances of seeing these animals - and their chances of survival - are both very limited.
Dolphinariums
Turkey is constantly criticized for its policy of capturing wild dolphins and for its poor regulation of dolphin attractions, in which many of them are held captive in deplorable conditions. The most recent protests have focused mainly on the dolphinarium in Kas (Antalya), which houses four bottlenose dolphins for commercial shows and offers controversial dolphin therapy. We remind you that in this country there are options to participate in whale watching and observe these animals in the wild instead. More information about the implications of dolphin captivity.
The sea turtles of Dalyan
The threatened loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) has inhabited the seas and beaches around Dalyan for thousands of years, and its breeding areas are now protected by conservation organizations. But threats do remain, and they put the future of these animals in serious danger. Fishing and tourist boats represent a threat due to propellers and fishing nets, and turtles are hunted for their meat or for crafting souvenirs. Predators also continue to threaten their eggs and their breeding areas are in danger due to local developments. NGOs have collaborated with some tourist boats to cover their propellers.
Camel fights
In Turkey, the camel fight is one of the oldest traditional shows and is an event that despite having been almost eradicated in the past, every year is gaining more popularity at the tourist level. In January, more than 20,000 people of different nationalities attend the “Selcuk Efes Camel Wrestling Festival”, an event that was inaugurated in 1982 by the very Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. Although this is the most prominent festival of this type, dozens of them are held throughout the year in different areas of the country.
The show, heavily criticized by animal defense organizations around the world, involves the participation of 140 camels bred specifically for fighting - these are male camel and female dromedary crosses to ensure greater size and strength - which are divided into different categories according to their weight and age.
To ensure the “ferociousness” of the participating animals, which are generally peaceful, the fighting season coincides with the three months during which female camels are fertile, which makes the males more aggressive.
Even before starting the show, it is common to see the camels drooling due to stress. They are also often kept fasting or hungry during the months prior to the event, so that they get irritated more easily.
The animals fight using different "techniques", generally using their necks as a weapon. Very often, to begin or continue the onslaught, trainers "push" the animals to fight by whipping them and hitting them with sticks. The animal that does not panic, does not run away, does not scream or does not fall to the ground is proclaimed winner and is generally sold for a large amount of money. More information.
Stray dogs and cats
The international animal defense organization, PETA, has called for a tourist boycott of Turkey because of its mismanagement of stray cats and dogs. Every year, to "clean" the streets of Turkey for tourists, mass culling of these animals is carried out by poisoning or transporting them to remote areas, where most of them die of thirst or hunger. More information.
Working horses
Excursions on the backs of horses and donkeys are offered to tourists throughout the country. Unfortunately, many of these animals live in extremely harsh conditions, are fed poor diets and have to work for many hours a day in scorching heat. Although the mentality towards the treatment of horses is slowly changing in Turkey, the vast majority of them are still mistreated and abused by their owners. More information.
Chimpanzee exploitation for photos with tourists
Hotels and photographers on the southern coast of the country - the most touristic area - abuse and exploit chimpanzees and other wild animals for money. The Turkish authorities claim that they cannot end this situation. Several international animal defense organizations have received complaints from tourists in Turkey who indicated that hotel guests were offered the take photos with a chimpanzee. In these cases, the authorities usually blame the photographers but not the hotels. Most of the animals used in these activities are smuggled out of their country of origin when they are still young and killed after only three or four years, when they become too aggressive. More information.
Here is a list of local NGOs that can be contacted in case you want to make a donation, a complaint or find an animal that needs help in Turkey:
