Kastamonu University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Research and Protection Student Community, and Faculty of Forestry, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management organised the "First Aid and Rehabilitation in Wild Animals" workshop.
The workshop organised by Kastamonu University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Veysel Doğan, which took place on March 15, 2024, at the Sezai Karakoç Hall of the Central Library of our University, was attended by veterinarian Ahmet Emre Kütükçü, Turkey Wildlife Consultant of the World Wildlife Fund, and Özkan Evcin, Head of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the Faculty of Forestry of our University.
Veterinarian Ahmet Emre Kütükçü, who took the first floor at the event, briefly mentioned the history of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which was established in 1975 and operated in many fields, and talked about wildlife rehabilitation activities in our country and around the world.Speaking about the work and projects of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Kütükçü said that the activities carried out include rescue, first aid and treatment, care and rehabilitation, as well as education. Veterinarian Kütükçü also emphasised the necessity of using suitable methods for the immobilisation and transportation of wild animals with precision.
Özkan Evcin, Head of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the Faculty of Forestry of our University, gave a speech centered on the concept of wildlife. Emphasizing "An Overview of Wildlife Management," Evcin mentioned that more than 160 thousand invertebrate species, more than 500 fish species, 30 bivalves, 120 reptiles, nearly 500 birds, and 160 mammal species can be seen in Turkey. Evcin, who showed a video on wildlife to the participants, completed his presentation by answering the questions asked. Stating that Turkey has an essential place in the world regarding biodiversity, Evcin drew attention to the urgent need to take measures to protect this diversity.
Veterinarian Ahmet Emre Kütükçü, who retook the floor after Evcin, gave information about the rescue transport vehicle, narcotic rifle, and animal rescue equipment that should be present in the rescue and transportation process prepared by National Geographic.
Stating that wild animals should be treated sensitively, Kütükçü said that they care for and rehabilitate rock martens, kestrels, pied owls, Hazar snakes, snipes, storks, hedgehogs, quail guides, and small doves.
At the end of the presentation, Kütükçü, who made a reenactment, talked about the rules to be followed when handling wild animals. The workshop ended with answering the questions of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Forestry students. On March 16, the second day of the seminar, a workshop on monitoring wild animals with direct and indirect observation methods and photocatchers was held after a nature walk in Ilgaz Mountain National Park. Information was given by Özkan Evcin and veterinarian Ahmet Emre Kütükçü on the detection, recognition, and monitoring of traces and faeces of wild animals in the field with the photo trap method.
