Government Tightens Surveillance, Turkey's Wild Goat Population Grows Fast

JAKARTA - Wild goats or mountain goats, a symbol of Turkey's eastern Tunceli Province, which they have called home for centuries, are now roaming the mountains fearlessly.

For the first time in a long time, around 100 wild goats were caught on camera while traveling in the herd recently.

This is a rare sight in an area where hunters target goats. The goats appeared to be climbing mountains in the region as spring arrived in frozen Tunceli when they were photographed by workers from the national park authorities.

Authorities point out that a reduction in illegal hunting has been ensured thanks to better enforcement of prohibitions. Officials say their population is also increasing.

Last year alone, 115 people were fined for illegal hunting for a total of more than US$52,540, the Daily Sabah reported on May 17.

Goats were in the past subject to legal hunting, with the government sometimes selling licenses to local and foreign hunters. Activists claim that hunting prevents wildlife conservation. While the authorities argue that hunting does not harm the species in question, and, on the contrary, helps to exterminate overpopulated species thereby preserving wildlife.

It is known that Tunceli is home to a sizeable Alevi population whose beliefs respect mountain goats, viewing them as sacred creatures forbidden from hunting, but locals are wary of poachers who come from elsewhere to shoot goats.

Wild goats are not only found in Tunceli, as they are also seen in other provinces in the region, including Van, although only goats in Tunceli are endangered.

Rocky areas in the mountains and forests are habitat for wild goats which are included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for endangered species.

Their exact population was calculated many years ago, but authorities have not disclosed it due to concerns about the growing interest of poachers in their habitat. The ancestor of the domestic goat, the wild goat also faces the danger of habitat loss due to illegal logging elsewhere.