The Coronavirus pandemic has made nations of the world react in unprecedented ways. A global lockdown of many affected areas around the globe has been enforced, and more are expected to follow. But the panic caused by the virus, and the lockdown rules set in most countries does not affect humans only. While it has had some positive effects on the environment and wildlife, some animals are actually suffering as well. Creatures such as deer in Japan, for example, and monkeys in Thailand, have seen sources of food diminish in the wake of the lockdown. Their reliance on tourists feeding them has made them vulnerable to starving. Same with ducks, pigeons, and other birds in parks where people would feed them with scraps of bread. But, some authorities have decided to make sure that some of these animals are not neglected during the lockdown.
In Turkey, officials are doing whatever they can to ensure that stray animals don’t starve during the strict lockdown in cities. The Turkish Interior Ministry issued a bulletin to assist homeless and neglected animals impacted by the social distancing and stay-at-home rules by the majority of the population. Specifically, to be able to provide regular food and water supplies to animal shelters and areas with strays. “Food and water will be left at the living environments of street animals such as parks and gardens and particularly animal shelters,” the bulletin said.
A Turkish newspaper said that taking care of needy and helpless creatures are part of Turkish culture, and neighborhoods work together with authorities to feed, vaccinate, and care for strays and shelter animals. The government declared this despite the effects of the pandemic and disruption of normalcy. Take the municipality of the Maramara district of Darica, where volunteers helped distribute food, water, and medicines (disinfectants) to shelters and homeless dogs and cats. Officials said, “Even if everyone stays at home, we are not going to forget our furry friends. We will leave water and food at three feeding points at various intervals.”
Definitely, the move was praised by social media users, who praised Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu for the initiative. Many pictures of the strays were taken and circulated on the internet. Even Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul tweeted a photo of himself petting a dog and saying, “we should not abandon our animal friends during these tough days.” But, Gul also opened up a barrage of criticisms about the treatment of prisoners and how they are not protected from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, Turkey is not listed as a hotspot, but more than 65,000 cases have been recorded, with over 1,400 deaths. But Turkey is considered to be one of the countries with fast-rising confirmed cases. Many restrictions have been imposed, like border crossings, inter-city travel, international flights, public gatherings, and non-essential businesses. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdoğan banned the sale of face masks, to prevent over-pricing, and promised to deliver free masks to homes and hospitals.
Other places are doing what they can to help out during this time of need. Not just people, but our furry friends as well. Hopefully, things will return to normal sooner than later. But let us not forget that caring for animals need not only be done during a crisis.
