Saturday, 6 October (Part II)
Opened to the public in 2008, the wildlife park is located on 105 acres (42.5 hectares) in Sasalı, on the outskirts of İzmir. (Adult Admission: 3TL [$1.65].)
(The map ABOVE, DOWNLOADED FROM THE PARK’S WEBSITE, shows the park in relation to mom’s apartment and Terecİ, where we had breakfast.)
Home to over 1,300 animals representing 120 species, the park replaced the much smaller old zoo, where the animals lived in cramped quarters. Here, with space not an issue, the animals have big enclosures in which to roam. Yes, they’re still captive, but conditions are much improved and they serve as ambassadors for their species and instill the importance of conservation in the new generation of visitors. (The Turkish website for the park is quite impressive as it provides extensive information about the animals — another means for educating the general populace.)
Facility map for İzmİr Doğal Yaṣam Parkı (Wildlife Park) - Sasalı, İzmİr.
[scanned from brochure]
We wore out our feet wandering the meandering paths around the park, but enjoyed the sunshine and comfortable temperatures of a beautiful fall day — and the animals, of course.
The Mute Swans make their home at a lake not far from the park’s entrance.
Cape Ground Squirrels live in the countries of southern Africa.
This wood totem pole stands at the entrance to the African Savannah exhibits.
The male ostrich checks out the eggs while the female looks on.
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A pair of frisky hippos playing in their pond; the sign on the left cautions visitors
not to get close. (There’s a fence around the pond, but I suppose there are those
who might try to go over it, hence the sign.)
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Mom climbs up to the viewing platform for an eye-to-eye look at the giraffe.
The long-legged buzzard is the largest bird of prey in Turkey.
Mars and Marduk are a pair of three-year old male Lynx that arrived at the park in May 2012.
(They stopped playing long enough for me to capture this photo of them.)
Born at the park in February 2011, and named for the city of its birth, İzmİr has fun
rolling a log around the Asian elephant yard.
When İzmİr wanders too close to the empty pool, Begümcan rushes over as any
mother would do to warn him off and force him to safety.
Pak Bahadur, the city’s 40+ YEAR OLD ASIAN ELEPHANT was buried at the Wildlife Park
following his death in 2007. His silhouette has been incorporated into the logo of the park.
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Ring-Tailed Lemurs | White Pelican |
Black Swans are monogamous.
The White Mandarin Duck prefers fresh water lakes and ponds in woodland areas.
Golden (or Chinese) Pheasant — this is a mutant form of the bird,
and is often referred to as the Yellow Golden Pheasant.
I’d been trying to get to the wildlife park since it opened in 2008; I’m glad we managed to fit it in this year. I have more photos in my online gallery if you want to check them out. (I plan to add more photos to this gallery; so if necessary, click the İzmir Doğal Yaşam Parkı link in the gallery description.)
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this photo of İzmir…
The End!
One hopes that such a nice park facilitates a greater awareness of the wonderful creatures that share our planet. These parks can be sanctuaries, they are educational, they are fun. They teach and engage children in a way no book can duplicate. A good, humane zoo can motivate people to become more involved, to donate, to volunteer, to actually care enough to do something. This type of experience causes people to appreciate, rather than undervalue, the animals they visit.
ReplyDeleteFar too often, the existence of zoos and wildlife parks creates controversy, negative reactions, heated discussion of ethical dilemnas. This is unfortunate, as it is not a simple subject, and should not be treated with a knee-jerk reaction.
Very enjoyable visit!!