Turkish Nature

[drpinner]

One of the many reasons that my family and I return to Kalkan each year is the surrounding countryside and the chance to see the diverse nature it offers. With a short drive into the mountains or to one of the many ancient ruin sites you can see some amazing sites of reptiles, insects and birds. One of the our many highlights this year was to be within a very short distance of a wild tortoise which quickly scuttled (?) into the bushes.
It was with complete dismay therefore that I heard that Marine restaurant on the harbour-side have acquired a captive tortoise and are "entertaining" visitors, enticing it with lettuce leaves and such like. Yes, they are cute and adorable creatures but they belong in the wild, not stuck in a box in a restaurant as an enticement to attract customers 

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=12922.0

[Joanna]

They are not in a box, they have their own large garden and there are 3 of them. You should go and see them.

[drpinner]

If I want to see Tortoises in Turkey I will go and see them in the wild

[jnismith]

Saw lots of turtles this year in Kalkan bay and right up to the harbour is Meis

[DRBD]

There seem to be  a lot more tortoises this  year but they were abit later waking up & getting about possibly due to the cooler spring.  A lot of Turkish people do in fact keep damaged/injured tortoises in safe places but not sure  if the ones at the Marina are such but they have had tortoises in that garden for  a very long time. What upsets me even more is seeing crushed ones on the roads especially in Kalkan where the motorist has more chance of avoiding them. 

It really is lovely to see the number of turtles, they were about throughout the chilly winter entertain us. There have been some beautiful birds abouabout but sadly not seen any beeaters for somew while now,

[Cosetta]

I have a mother tortoise who every year crawls under our gate to lay her eggs in our garden.  Two young ones recently emerged and happily chomped on our dichondra as they grew.  We didn't invite them, we don't prevent them from leaving, they chose our garden.  Are they in the wild or do they prefer their 'private space'?!

We also have reptiles in the form of snakes, and plenty of insects of innumerable varieties.  Plus cats, dogs, bees and too many species of plants to name.  Hmmm, maybe we live in nature ?