Country/Region: Turkey
Partner: KuzeyDoğa Society
Eastern Turkey holds global conservation significance as the location of the 23’000 ha Sarıkamış National Park, the region’s only refuge for large carnivores such as the wolf, lynx and brown bear. However, several factors are contributing to the decline of wildlife populations in the region. A country-wide relentless infrastructure development agenda threatens to weaken environmental laws, destroy wildlife habitats, reduce the effectiveness of local protected areas, and irrevocably damage the region’s natural resources.
Fondation Segré is supporting a second phase of this project which aims at conserving large carnivores (wolves, lynx and bears) in Eastern Turkey through the development and integration of appropriate measures in the Sarıkamış Forest Management Plan currently under development and the construction of two wildlife overpasses aimed at maintaining connectivity and securing a dispersal corridor for these species in the region.
Our partner, KuzeyDoğa Society, will also continue its critical long-term monitoring of these species to track their movements and further understand their ecology, population changes and habitat needs. They will also promote activities to increase the public awareness of large carnivores and conservation of their habitats in order to reduce human-carnivore conflict and foster coexistence between these species and the local communities.
You can read more about our support to the Phase I of the project HERE.
