An alligator from the Bursa Zoo, located in the Marmara region of Türkiye, is being prepared for the winter season with a special feeding program as its metabolism slows down and it stops eating.
Located in the Soğanlı area of the Osmangazi district, the zoo, which spans an area of 206,600 square meters, provides a natural habitat for animals, featuring animal shelters, 11 ponds, 2,000 trees, 50,000 shrubs and 150,000 ground cover plants. It hosts many mammals, reptiles and birds under the ownership of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.
The zoo attracts around 1 million visitors each year and is home to various species, including predators like lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas and vultures, as well as llamas, giraffes, koalas, tapirs, kangaroos, mara, monkeys and iguanas.
Bursa Zoo also hosts some endangered species, including Chinese geese, local geese, pelicans, pheasants, spoon-billed ibises and mandarin ducks, alongside farm and poultry animals.
As a full member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the Bursa facility houses 882 animals from 133 species. This year, an alligator originally from the Faruk Yalçın Zoo in Darıca, Kocaeli, was brought to Bursa.
The 30-year-old alligator, which has become popular among visitors due to its association with Bursaspor, weighs about 240 kilograms (530 pounds) and is 2.5 meters long (8.2 feet). Being a cold-blooded animal, it prefers warm weather and sunlight, and it almost doesn't move during the winter months.
The predator consumes nearly no food for about four months, and a high-protein feeding program is implemented to prepare for this period. The caretaker provides the alligator with whole chickens and red meat.
The alligator will be fed this way until November and will be moved to a heated area for the winter.
Erdem Saker, the coordinator of the zoo, told Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters that the alligator's care is entirely conducted in accordance with European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) regulations. He noted that the EAZA has standards for this matter, stating, "Due to our membership, all our animals are cared for according to their standards and are monitored by our valuable experts for their health."
Saker explained that they feed the alligator with whole chickens. He provided information about the species, stating: "During the winter months, no feeding is done as they are cold-blooded animals. They remain without feeding throughout the winter. From March onward, as the weather begins to warm up, they become active again and feeding resumes. These animals are taken to heated areas to prevent them from being affected by the cold. They are moved to our heated areas to shield them from the cold weather."