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ANKARA: Rabbit Boom Threatens Armenian Church

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  • ANKARA: Rabbit Boom Threatens Armenian Church

    RABBIT BOOM THREATENS ARMENIAN CHURCH

    Daily Sabah, Turkey
    April 6 2015

    IHLAS NEWS AGENCY

    Akdamar Island in eastern Turkey's Lake Van is under threat of a
    boom in the rabbit population. A significant rise in the number of
    rabbits poses a danger to the eponymous church, the sole structure
    on the small island.

    Turkish authorities have resorted to setting up traps to capture them
    alive to curb the population rise which is damaging both vegetation
    and the walls of the church.

    Rabbits, dropped on the unpopulated island years ago, quickly
    propogated. A delegation of academics, environmental activists
    and animal activists, as well as local officials have examined the
    situation and prepared a report, citing that the boom is a risk for
    the island. The report also points out the need to diversify the local
    almond tree population and reparation of fences to prevent human
    access to local birds' breeding grounds to protect the environment
    on the island.

    "We decided to decrease the number of rabbits and bring balance to the
    ecosystem. It will be through mechanical means, by setting up traps.

    It is difficult to tackle such a rise and we expect that our efforts
    will continue throughout summer," Associate Professor Lokman Aslan
    from Van's Yuzuncu Yıl University, who was a member of the delegation,
    said.

    Akdamar is home to Church of the Holy Cross, a 10th century Armenian
    church, which was reopened after restoration in 2007. It hosts an
    annual mass every year with participation of the Armenian Orthodox
    community of Turkey and Orthodox Armenians from other countries.

    The church is a popular destination for Turkish and foreign tourists
    especially in the summer. Local authorities recently announced that
    the work has begun to improve landscaping of the island and a new
    pier was constructed on the island.

    http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2015/04/06/rabbit-boom-threatens-armenian-church



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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