MĞLA Sıtkı Koçman University (MSKÜ) Biodiversity Application and Research Center Director Dr. Lecturer Yasin İlemin made an evaluation about the bear attack that killed Osman Gültaş (70) in Seferihisar district of İzmir. "Hand-feeding wild animals reduces their tendency to avoid humans and completely changes their natural behavior. This situation poses fatal risks for both humans and animals," said Ilemin.
MSKU Biodiversity Application and Research Center Director Dr. In his statement regarding the bear attack in which Osman Gültaş lost his life in the Seferihisar district of Izmir, Faculty Member Yasin İlemin said that the trend of viewing wild animals on social media has gotten out of control in recent years and that unconscious interventions have created serious stress on the animals.
'EVERY APPROACH IS A SERIOUS SOURCE OF STRESS FOR THEM'
Dr. Faculty Member İlemin said, "Following wild animals with phones, drones and vehicles has become a race. For the sake of a few seconds of footage on social media, people unconsciously enter the habitats of these creatures and disturb the mothers with their cubs. Every approach is a serious source of stress for them. The brown bear population is not increasing. On the contrary, their habitats are shrinking day by day, especially due to large forest fires in Western Anatolia, habitat loss and increasing human pressure. We kidnap them from their last shelters and push them to human settlements."
'Humans are not natural prey for them'
Touching on the feeding habits of brown bears in Türkiye and their relationships with humans, Dr. İlemin stated that these creatures avoid humans under normal conditions and said, "The diet of brown bears in Türkiye is more than 90 percent plant-based. Humans are not natural prey for them. Under normal circumstances, they prefer to stay away when they see humans. However, a mother trying to protect her cubs or an individual who has been subjected to human pressure and pursuit for a long time may show unexpected aggressive behavior. The tragedy in Izmir has painfully shown what uncontrolled intervention and intense human pressure can lead to. This stressed-out animal has been wondering where to go for months." "Everywhere he ran, he came across a person or a human structure, and finally he encountered our unfortunate citizen," he said.
'THE SOLUTION IS NOT TO FIGHT WITH NATURE, BUT TO ADAPT'
Dr. noted that feeding wild animals by humans is one of the biggest mistakes. Reminding the example of Nemrut Crater Lake in Bitlis, İlemin said, "Hand-feeding wild animals reduces their tendency to avoid people and completely changes their natural behavior. This situation poses fatal risks for both humans and animals. However, Anatolian people have managed to live a balanced life with brown bears for thousands of years. Serenders (wooden granaries), stone apiaries and the traditional 'bee yards' that we have brought to the agenda again in Muğla are the best examples of this. The solution is not to fight nature, but to live in a balanced way." "It's about adapting," he said.
'BEARS ARE THE ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS OF FORESTS'
Dr. stated that grizzly bears are not just wild animals, they play a critical role in the health of forests. İlemin said, "They are ecosystem engineers. They enable seeds to spread and play an important role in the nutrient cycle. For this reason, they are definitely among the protected species in our country." Following the painful incident in Seferihisar, Dr. also reacted to the rumors that grizzly bears were being targeted and illegally hunted in the region. Yasin İlemin said, "Referring to the last incident, unfortunately, brown bears are targeted in Anatolia and killed by people who call themselves 'hunters'. I would like to remind you clearly from here that there are very heavy administrative and legal penalties for killing bears in their natural habitats, which are a handful remaining. All brown bears that have not intended to kill humans are under protection in our country."