A Caucasian lynx found killed by a local in eastern Turkey's Tunceli province, causing an uproar on social media with Turkish users and environmental activists demanding stricter controls and fines on illegal hunting.
The dead lynx was found last Saturday by Cenan Konak, a local who was driving down the Pülümür Valley on his way to Erzincan.
Konak told reporters that he saw the dead lynx lying next to a dead wild boar on the roadside, which was shot down and probably killed minutes ago since the body was still warm. He added that the lynx probably arrived at the scene for the boar and was killed by the same illegal hunters.
"From officials to citizens, everyone should shoulder their responsibility to protect these beauties and no one should touch these creatures," Konak added.
Tunceli National Parks and Nature Conversation Directorate launched a probe to find the perpetrators.
The Caucasian lynx, native to eastern Turkey, is a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx and is considered by some to be endangered. Populations in the region continue to shrink due to human activity, habitat loss and prey depletion.
