A Retrospective Study on Wild Orphan Animals in Afyon Kocatepe University Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation, Training, Practice and Research Center (AKUREM)

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

This research is the first study on wild orphan animals in Turkey.The aim of this study is to evaluate the reasons of the orphans' arrival, their health status and fate in the Afyon Kocatepe University Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation, Training, Practice and Research Center.Data on 118 orphans accepted the center in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were evaluated.A total of 16 different species, including 12 birds and 4 mammals, were recorded.Most of the orphans (89%) were birds and few mammals (11%).Most of the orphans (45.8%) were accepted to the center during the breeding seasons, especially in July.Most of the orphan birds were from the urban areas (94.3%) while most of the orphan mammals were from the rural areas (84.6%).The majority of orphans (81.4%) admitted to the rehabilitation center were uninjured and healthy.The mortality rate in the rehabilitation center (47.5%) was higher than those who were successfully released into wildlife (40.7%), those in captivity (5.9%) and euthanasia (5.9%).Despite the high rate of healthy offspring, the high mortality rate indicates that the rehabilitation process is difficult and requires expertise.As a result, not all wild offspring found by humans are orphans.Leaving healthy offspring in their habitat in a controlled manner can increase their chances of survival.It has been concluded that increasing education and awareness-raising activities both in rehabilitation centers and in the community will reduce the problem of orphans in wildlife.