Anatolia is the original homeland of several species. For instance, the red deer comes from the foothills of the Taurus Mountains between Antalya and Adana. Another example is the pheasant which comes from Samsun on Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
Few people are aware that the Anatolia leopard is one of the largest of these graceful cats, and another member of the Anatolian fauna.
Turkey is one of the most important bird migration routes in the world. The total number of migratory and local bird species are 456 in Turkey. Besides the diversity of species, Turkey is also an important habitat for breeding birds like, northern bald ibis, white headed duck, blue cheeked bee eater, spur winged plover and black francolin that are under the threat of extinction.
Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean shores provide a refuge for Mediterranean monk seals and Caretta Caretta turtles.
Today, the mountains and national parks still abound with wildlife, such as brown bears, wild boar, lynx, wolves, mountain goats, water buffalo, the occasional leopard and over 400 species of birds, several of them endangered.
