In Antalya’s fire-damaged forests, blackened remains lie almost unrecognisable among the soot: a hoof, a bone, what was probably a stomach.
They are the remains of some of the thousands of animals thought to have died in Turkey’s most deadly and destructive fires in living memory, which have ripped through 100,000 hectares of land along the country’s southern coast.
Despite the arrival of water-dropping planes from the EU on Monday – adding to those from Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine and Iran – the fires continue for the eighth day straight. Once the call comes to say your village is next, there is no time to take anything, not even your pets.
“When the fire comes, it comes really quickly, so people panic and forget about everything,” said Erkin Erdogdu, 35, a computer programmer from Ankara who founded animal rescue community Paw Guard with vet Doruk Demirci.
Mr Erdogdu said the group is mobilising its network of more than 100,000 volunteers to rescue dogs, cats, livestock and strays left behind when humans flee.
“People try to evacuate the animals, but sometimes it’s very difficult when things are on fire,” he said.
Videos of anguished farmers trying to direct their flocks towards beaches for safety have been shared widely on social media as others appeal for help to rescue them by road.
With fire-fighting resources scarce, water bottles and garden hoses have become weapons to try to keep the flames off. Anger has grown over the government’s handling of the bushfires, which happen annually but have not been this intense before.
Eight people, including two firefighters, have been killed. Thousands have fled their homes, and holiday resorts – already harmed by the pandemic – have been evacuated.
Strong winds, months of severe drought and temperatures well above the average means the country is struggling to contain the problem, which many believe will become increasingly common in Turkey as the effects of climate change become hard to ignore.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Friday that 3,320 cattle have died in the fires, but no data has been given on the number of forest animals killed. Images of charred tortoises stirred emotions online.
In Manavgat, the most fire-stricken district of the holiday hub Antalya, Paw Group braves the lines of fire that snake nearby hillsides to drive from village to village, sweeping for animals that could starve, or even be burnt alive. But moving panicked pets is tricky in heat of well over 40°C, as chaotic scenes unfold and smoke thickens the air.
As they arrive at the remote village of Gondulmus, rescuers head for a scared, skinny donkey tied to a tree. They move on to a family of stray dogs whose mother has a hurt foot. As the echo of sirens over the hills grows, a kitten is found with a badly infected eye.
Paw Guard has been running for only eight months, and already has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram. Mr Erdogdu, who has seven dogs himself, said he realised there was a lot of help made available for humans who were suffering through lockdown, but nothing for animals.
Usually feeding strays in cities around the country, this is the first time it has provided help during a disaster.
“On Monday, I posted on Instagram to say ‘We are here. Do you need any help with your animals?’ It had 7,000 shares and now, whenever a village is burning people call and say ‘Come, help us’.”
The group has attracted so much interest that it was contacted by a group of vets from Brazil who wanted to come and help.
“We message Paris Hilton with our posts and she shares them,” said Mr Erdogdu. He showed The National a trail of private messages with the hotel heiress.
He posts videos of animals volunteers pick up as they travel between rescues – a box of three unbearably cute puppies found in a ditch, a small boy with a smug-looking black cat – and shows, proudly, that one image has received 232 likes in only seven seconds.
Activists as well as volunteers, Mr Erdogdu and Dr Demirci have campaigned for years for Turkish law to offer stronger protection for animals. They started a campaign and went to Parliament, and in early July a new law was approved that made animal abuse a crime punishable by six months to four years in prison.
The team move on as the fires begin to grow and close in and there is a risk they could get cut off. The nearby forests glow a ghastly orange as the ground ignites by the side of the road, and a call comes in about a dog with severe burns to its leg. A rescuer’s work is never done.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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More on Quran memorisation:
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
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By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
