Horses and fallow deer are continuing to thrive around Dilek Peninsula National Park, it has been reported.

Images from camera traps placed across the Büyük Menderes Delta by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP), have revealed the beauty of the park’s natural life. 

It is said that many horses were initially left during the 1923 population exchange and after nearly a century on, their numbers down the generations continue to thrive.

Horses were believed to have been released by the Greeks during the population exchange and then roamed wild with other groups. The areas where these animals are found is closed to visitors and they lead their lives in a comfortable and convenient way for wildlife.

The Park is also home to fallow deer, which are reported to have been around since the 6th centur. This has been supported by depictions in a vase found from that period.

Some of the fallow deer were killed in the park in 2012 to protect their lineage. While it was noteworthy that the fallow deer adapted to the region in a short time, the ancient vase with the figure of the fallow deer, which was found in the archaeological study within the borders of the National Park, almost revealed the reason for the harmony.

The engraving of the figure of fallow deer on the ancient vase, which was determined to belong to the 6th century, indicates that the fallow deer have lived in the National Park for centuries and are among the natural habitats of the National Park.

The numbers of fallow deer have increased from 18 in 2012 to 70 by 2022.