More than 2,200 wild animals successfully completed treatment and were released back into their natural habitats across Türkiye in the first half of 2026, according to Türkiye’s nature conservation authority.
General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) Director General Kadir Çokçetin said two imperial eagles and six kestrels, rehabilitated through a partnership with Ankara University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, were recently released in Ankara. The two eagles were fitted with satellite transmitters to enable scientists to monitor their movements and adaptation after returning to the wild.
Çokçetin said the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry provides treatment and rehabilitation for wild animals affected by natural disasters, injuries, disease or exhaustion before returning them to nature. He noted that Türkiye now operates 11 modern wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers nationwide.
Between 2012 and 2025, around 84,000 wild animals were treated and released, while 2,205 animals regained their natural habitats during the first six months of this year alone.
Rehabilitation includes emergency care, surgery, intensive care and species-specific behavioral programs, followed by health screenings and post-release monitoring using bird ringing, electronic transmitters and other tracking methods.
