Organisms

Red poppy flowers were seen growing in the middle of a wheat field in Turkey's southeastern Gaziantep province. (AA Photo)

The General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks has announced a fine of 80,465 Turkish Liras ($9,500) against individuals who pluck peonies, a variety of flowers declared as the symbol of the southern province of Antalya.

If peonies are plucked from their natural habitat for commercial use by a company, then the fine will be tripled.

A new endemic cornflower species has been found in the Hekimhan district of the eastern province of Malatya.

The Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has been storing the seeds of all kinds of plants grown across the country in some 32 gene banks in a bid to conserve the rich flora of Turkey from going extinct, the head of the project said on April 30.

Marine fossils discovered in eastern Turkey indicate the region was underwater millions of years ago, according to experts.

The residents of Elazığ's Akçatepe village, who took their animals to graze on a hill at an average altitude of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) above sea level, noticed that there were mussel-and snail-like remains on the surrounding cliffs.

Scientists confirm that slow blinks are an effective way to connect with a cat

Zeytin likes to walk through the streets of Istanbul at night, Nazar easily befriends strangers, while Kartal lives on a construction site in the bustling Turkish city.

The infestation is likely the result of an unusually large grain harvest

A retiree in eastern Turkey has devoted his life to stray animals, caring for 50 dogs and cats after losing his dog to cancer. 

Hüseyin Turan, 76, who used to spend winters in Istanbul and summers in Nimri village in Elazığ, permanently settled in the village after he decided to honor the memory of his dog, Sunny.

The Central Fisheries Research Institute (SUMAE) in the northwestern Black Sea province of Trabzon wants to preserve the population of sturgeons with a project for developing breeding techniques. 

While the sturgeon tadpoles care center is in SUMAE, the breeding center is located in special pools in the Çamlıhemşin district of another Black Sea province, Rize.