Years of efforts to conserve desert monitors and striped hyaenas of Şanlıurfa achieved the goal. Birecik Steppes, where such endangered species live, was declared as an official protected area on 12 May through the efforts of local communities and civil society organisations with support from the United Nations GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP).

Birecik Steppes of Şanlıurfa, an important and rare area where particularly desert monitors and striped hyaenas live, was declared a Wildlife Development Area and accorded official protection status on 12 May 2020. Doğa Derneği (BirdLife Turkey) and Doğa Kültür ve Yaşam Derneği (Nature, Culture and Life Association) had been working for 13 years, with support from the United Nations GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), to raise awareness on the part of local people, and acquire the status of official conservation area.

Birecik District of Şanlıurfa is, by its geographic location, is one of the most natural steppe ecosystems in Turkey. As steppes serve as the habitat of many rare species, such creatures adapt to and camouflage in the desert ecosystem.

“Steppe is Beautiful Too”

In the context of the work initiated 13 years ago, the experts from Doğa Derneği engaged in work in 2007 and 2008 in and around the steppe villages of Birecik, and proved the existence of desert monitors and striped hyaenas, compiling information on their habitats in the region through visual recording.

While the local people knew, and insensibly hunted, desert monitors and striped hyaenas for years, Doğa Derneği and Doğa Kültür ve Yaşam Derneği, with support from the United Nations GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), engaged in awareness-raising in pilot areas. The campaign “Steppe is Beautiful Too” and advocacy action substantially changed the attitude of local people and decision-makers towards desert monitors and striped hyaenas, and enlisted them as supporters of conservation efforts.

The direct on-site conservation work titled “Villagers Conserve the Steppe”, as the most important part of the conservation work supported by SGP, assured local conservation, and enabled local people to own and protect desert monitors and striped hyaenas.

“Sustainable conservation only possible by ownership of local people and acquisition of conservation status”

As there was no legal prohibition, it was challenging to fully conserve the area and species. Therefore, action was started in 2012 to acquire the status of conservation area, once again with support from the United Nations GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP).

In that context, joint work was started in cooperation with the then-named Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, with support from local decision-makers and mukhtars (village masters); the preliminary field study was completed for the Wildlife Development Area of Şanlıurfa Birecik Steppes, and submitted to the relevant authorities and entities. The processing status of the report was followed up for years, and efforts were made to accelerate the process.

As a result, the proposal for declaring the Wildlife Development Area of Şanlıurfa Birecik Steppes was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan which granted Birecik Steppes the official protection status.

Emphasising the importance of such result, Mr. Turan Çetin, Southeast Anatolia Regional Representative of Doğa Derneği, said: “The most important factors for species and areas to be conserved in the long run are the existence of local people’s support and official protection status. It is necessary to make realistic long-term plans to protect endangered species and sustainably conserve their exclusive habitats. Sustainable conservation is only possible by ownership of local people and acquisition of conservation status.”

DESERT MONITOR (Varanus griseus)

They live in desert and semi-desert areas. Most distinctive features are that they have long, thin tongues forked at the tip. The dorsum is usually yellowish-brown or grayish. There are dark brown or black transverse stripes on the back. They are active during daylight. They usually feed on other small lizards, rodents, birds and eggs of reptiles. They can dig ground and climb trees. Their length may be up to 100cm (at most 130cm). The species varanus griseus lives in a range of geographies from North Africa to Southeast Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. The subspecies varanus griseus griseus live in Turkey, in the natural steppes of Southeast Anatolia. It is strictly prohibited to catch, harm or kill this subspecies in Turkey.

STRIPED HYAENA (Hyaena hyaena)

Striped hyaenas are known to have once roamed through South Aegean, Mediterranean and Southeast Anatolia. They live in steppes, semi-desert areas and rocky terrain. Their coats are generally light grey to beige in colour. They have almost black stripes of 6 to 10cm in width. They have a mane of coarse and stiff hair, extending from back of the head to low back. Front legs are taller than hind legs. They are scavengers, and basically feed on remains of animal kills. They are active at night and live in families. Striped hyaenas live in rocky areas within Şanlıurfa province. It is strictly prohibited to catch, harm or kill them in Turkey.