Animal skeleton found in mosque in Turkey's east

VAN – Anadolu Agency

AA photo

An animal skeleton has been found in the storage room of a mosque in the eastern province of Van’s Edremit district. 

Officials found the animal skeleton while emptying the storage of the old mosque, which was used for wood and coal storage, while moving to a recently built mosque in the district.  

One of the officials, Veysel Şeker, said they were thrilled when they saw the skeleton, adding they put it in a cardboard box. “At first we thought it was a snake. But then we saw its feet. We don’t know what this animal is,” Şeker said. 

Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYU) Wild Animal Protection and Rehabilitation Center Director Associated Prof. Lokman Aslan said the skeleton belonged to a carnivorous dog, and continued: 

“As you know, the decay of bones takes longer than the decay of flesh. Actually, the skeleton needs to have front legs but either they were not found around the skeleton or they were eaten by another animal. Considering the bones, we can say that it had been there for about 10 years. It is not an extinct animal but it may be a puppy.”