Turkey
The Kars Wildlife Corridor is a region in the extreme northeastern corner of Turkey which boasts some of the biggest animal populations in the entire Middle East. Though not yet an organized protected area, the Turkish government is working to build up the environmental presence in the Kars Province, which is part of an ecosystem that stretches northwards into the Caucasus and Russia. It is home to many wild animals that have otherwise long since disappeared from this region.
The region that is now the Kars Province has been inhabited since very ancient times. According to tradition, it is close to where Noah’s Ark landed and disembarked all of the animals after the Flood. Part of a long series of kingdoms and empires, much of the region’s wildlife had long since been hunted out. However, some areas remained somewhat intact, and local conservation groups are now trying to reestablish the kars province as Turkey’s preeminent nature destination.
The Kars Province is a healthy mix of mountains, forests, wetlands, deserts and lakes, supporting a wide range of species, including nearly 500 species of birds. Among the big mammals are rarities including Wolf, Lynx and Brown Bear, animals that are now few and far between in the Middle East.
The Kars Wildlife Corridor is located in the Kars Province at the extreme eastern end of Turkey on the border of Armenia, a little over 600 miles from Ankara. Not technically a protected region, it is an open site typically accessed from the city of Kars. As of this writing no other visitor information was available. Web: N/A.
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