Fallow

Rhodes' iconic fallow deer - statues of which stand as emblems at the entrance to the southeastern Aegean island's Mandraki Harbor - are being decimated by the raging wildfire tearing through forests, hillside villages and seaside resorts.

The number of "platoni," a subspecies of fallow deer (Dama dama), living in forested areas of the southeastern Aegean island of Rhodes has jumped from around 200 a few years ago to more than 5,000, according to a recent census conducted as part of a plan for their management, in response to the problem caused by their overpopulation, mainly in terms of crop damage.

Turkish Agricultural Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said that 23 fallow deer that will be released into nature in the western Manavgat and Köyceğiz districts are now in an adaptation process.

The number of fallow deer, whose natural population continued only in the resort town of Antalya and remained at only seven about half a century ago, reached 500 after a protection project was launched.

A project has been going on for more than half a century to increase the population of fallow deer among endangered species.