On Thursday, Türkiye celebrated the surprising discovery of the leopard barbel fish, which is categorized as one of the most endangered species globally, in the Tigris River.
Environmentalists reveal that this spotted carp-like fish, believed to have disappeared from the wild over a decade ago and feared extinct, has now reemerged.
Culture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli called the leopard barbel "one of the 10 most sought-after fish in the world."
The discovery "is good news for the protection and development of our country's biodiversity," he said in a social media statement.
The fish was discovered by a team that included scientists from Türkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University and members of the Re: wild and SHOAL conservationist programs.
"There is nothing quite like the feeling of finding that a species that has been pushed to the brink of extinction is still hanging on, despite the odds," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University associate professor Cuneyt Kaya said.
The fish was once abundant in the rivers of eastern Türkiye and parts of Syria and neighboring Iran and Iraq.
Last month, the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature reported that 25 percent of the world's freshwater fish species were at risk of extinction.
"Freshwater ecosystems play a tremendous role in maintaining the overall health of our planet," Re: wild and SHOAL freshwater fish conservation program manager Harmony Patricio said.
"We hope the rediscovery of the leopard barbel will serve as an inspiring catalyst for future freshwater biodiversity conservation efforts in this region."
