B2 : Street Boars in Turkey
Below is a B2 English reading activity about the street boars in Turkey. Enjoy!
Wild boars raid streets in Tukey’s Marmaris district
Wild boars have been hogging the district center in search of food, and residents have raised concerns over their safety.
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“They used to come one by one. But nowadays, they are flocking in search of food. We are very scared,” Mehmet Poliat, a 51year-old resident, told Demirören News Agency.
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Arzu Sarıtaş, a 38-year-old woman, also said that people do not feel safe going out anymore.
Officials have been silent on the “Save us” calls from the public.
Explaining the reason why the animals have been raiding the district center, Marmaris Animal Rights Association Chairperson Tülay Yıldız said: “Some animal lovers feed them with good intention, but they should not. As long as they do this, these wild animals become like domesticated pets.”
Underlining that the association made some meetings with the previous administrations to stop the wild boars leaving the wild, she said: “We were supposed to draw a line between the forests and the city center. We were going to put the food in that area so that we were going to keep the wild boars approaching the center. However, we could not take action.”
Yıldız also warned the officials, saying, “These animals’ population is growing. Sooner or later, either the animals or the people might get hurt.”
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Street boars are present in Turkey, particularly in areas like Istanbul and Bodrum, primarily due to the loss of their natural habitat caused by large-scale construction projects, which forces them to venture into urban areas in search of food, often leading to sightings on streets and in residential neighborhoods; this is further compounded by the easy availability of food scraps left by humans.
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Key points about street boars in Turkey:
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Habitat loss:
Major construction projects like bridge and airport developments in forested areas are pushing wild boars out of their natural habitat and into urban areas.
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Food availability:
Urban environments often provide easy access to food sources like garbage, which attracts wild boars to populated areas.
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Coastal regions:
Areas like Bodrum, with proximity to forests and a high tourist population, frequently see wild boars wandering into residential areas.
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Human interaction concerns:
While wild boars are usually not aggressive, their presence in urban areas can raise safety concerns for residents.
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External Links :
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Quiz 1.0 - Wild boars raid streets in Tukey’s Marmaris district
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1 - Wild boars have been hogging the district center in search of food, and residents have raised concerns over their safety.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​​
2 - Arzu Sarıtaş, a 38-year-old woman, also said that people do not feel safe going out anymore.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
3 - A group of wild boars killed a 5 year old boy last year.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
4 - Officials have been fast to act on the “Save us” calls from the public.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
5 - Marmaris Animal Rights Association Chairperson Tülay Yıldız said: “Some animal lovers feed them with good intention, but they should not. As long as they do this, these wild animals become like domesticated pets.”
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​​
6 - ​she also stated: “We weren't supposed to draw a line between the forests and the city center. We were going to put the food in an enclosed area outside city limits so that the wild boars would stop approaching the center. However, we could not take action.”
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
7 - Yıldız also warned the officials, saying, “These animals’ population is growing. Sooner or later, either the animals or the people might get hurt.”
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
8 - Street boars are present in Turkey, particularly in areas like Istanbul and Bodrum, primarily due to the loss of their natural habitat caused by large-scale construction projects, forces them to venture into urban areas in search of food,
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
9 - A large construction project that started in 2018 near Bodrum caused the wild boars to come to the city in search of water.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
10 - Urban environments often provide easy access to food sources like garbage, which attracts wild boars to populated areas.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
11. Areas like Ankara, with proximity to forests and a high tourist population, frequently see wild boars wandering into residential areas.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
12. While wild boars are usually not aggressive, their presence in urban areas can raise safety concerns for residents.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
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13. The Turks love wild boars meat and consider them nutritious and are a good source of protein.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
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Wild boars live with Bodrum residents
It has recently become common to see the wild boars hovering along the narrow streets lined with white houses with blue doors and shutters in the district. They particularly search for food in the Konacık, Bitez and Cumhuriyet neighborhoods all day and night.
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Locals who see the boars almost everyday say they have become accustomed to living together with the boars.
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Some people are uncomfortable with the boars walking on the streets, adding that they are harmless animals as long as they are not disturbed, said Bodrum Hunters Club official Ethem YavaÅŸ.
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“They are mostly seen next to the garbage containers. So we often see them in front of our houses. Boars generally start reproducing at the end of October and November. The length of their gestation period is three months, three weeks and three days. They give birth at the beginning of summer. Female boars may attack to protect their babies. This is the most important thing to pay attention to. If they have babies with them, it is better to stay away,” said YavaÅŸ, adding that their only problem is finding food.
Some people call them to ask for help when they see the boars, said the official.
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“They call us and say we should hunt them. But it is not possible for us to hunt in residential areas. We can take some measures to prevent them from coming. For example, we can leave our food or waste in a place they cannot reach. Boars are very useful for nature. They are the only animals that mix seeds with the soil. Plants grow thanks to the boars. It is useful for us to learn how to live together with wild boars,” he said.
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External Link : https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/wild-boars-live-with-bodrum-residents-138796
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Quiz 2.0 - Wild boars live with Bodrum residents
1 - It has recently become common to see the wild boars hovering along the narrow streets lined with white houses with blue doors and shutters in the district.
a.​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
2 - They particularly search for food in the Konacık, Bitez and Cumhuriyet neighborhoods only at night.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
3 - Locals who see the boars almost everyday say they have become accustomed to living together with the boars.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
4 - Most people are comfortable with the boars walking on the streets, adding that they are harmless animals as long as they are not disturbed, said Bodrum Hunters Club official Ethem YavaÅŸ.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
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5 - They are mostly seen next to fast food restaurants. So we often see them in front of businesses.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
6 - Boars generally start reproducing at the end of October and November.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
7 - The length of their gestation period is three months, three weeks and three days.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
8 - They (the female boars) give birth at the beginning of spring.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
9 - Female boars may attack to protect their babies.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
10 - This is the most important thing to pay attention to. If they (female boars) have babies with them, it is better to stay away,” said YavaÅŸ, adding that their only problem is finding food.
a.​​ True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
11 - “They call us (The Bodrum Hunters Club) and say we should hunt them. But it is not possible for us to hunt in residential areas. We can take some measures to prevent them from coming.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
12 - Boars are very detrimental to nature. They are the only animals that pollute the land. Plants do not grow thanks to the boars. It is useful for us to learn how to exterminate the wild boars,” he (Ethem YavaÅŸ) said.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
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13 - Boars helped with the growth of 100 new trees in the city of Istanbul.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
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Answer Keys
Quiz 1.0 ---> Wild boars raid streets in Tukey’s Marmaris district
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1 - A ---> True
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2 - A ---> True
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3 - C ---> Does not say
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4 - B ---> False ---> Officials have been silent on the “Save us” calls from the public.
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5 - A ---> True
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6 - B ---> False ---> she said: “We were supposed to draw a line between the forests and the city center. We were going to put the food in that area so that we were going to keep the wild boars approaching the center. However, we could not take action.”
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7 - A ---> True
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8 - A ---> True
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9 - C ---> Does not say
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10 - A ---> True
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11 - B ---> False ---> Areas like Bodrum, with proximity to forests and a high tourist population, frequently see wild boars wandering into residential areas.
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12 - A ---> True
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13 - C ---> Does not say
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Quiz 2.0 - Wild boars live with Bodrum residents
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1 - A ---> True
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2 - B ---> False ---> They particularly search for food in the Konacık, Bitez and Cumhuriyet neighborhoods all day and night.
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3 - A ---> True
​​
4 - B ---> False ---> Some people are uncomfortable with the boars walking on the streets, adding that they are harmless animals as long as they are not disturbed, said Bodrum Hunters Club official Ethem YavaÅŸ.
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5 - B ---> False ---> They are mostly seen next to the garbage containers. So we often see them in front of our houses.
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6 - A ---> True
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7 - A ---> True
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8 - B ---> False ---> They give birth at the beginning of summer.
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9 - A ---> True
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10 - A ---> True
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11 - ​A ---> True
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12 - B ---> False ---> Boars are very useful for nature. They are the only animals that mix seeds with the soil. Plants grow thanks to the boars. It is useful for us to learn how to live together with wild boars,” he said.
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13 - C ---> Does not say
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Vocabulary
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1 - Run a muck --->
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Other A1 - C2 English Activities
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