Wildlife education in higher education institutions, its importance and encountered problems

As an historical process, wildlife educations in higher learning institutions have some differences in Turkey compared to those of the developed western countries. Especially, opening of the wildlife programs and departments has not received the necessary attention until recent years in Turkey. Wildlife education is given as associate degree, undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the Universities of Turkey. The number of associate degree programmes, named as “Hunting and Wildlife”, is increasing day by day within various universities. Departments of Wildlife Ecology and Management are mostly located within the forestry faculties. Only in Usak University, "Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management" is placed in the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. In this review, the importance of wildlife education, its historical process in both Turkey and especially in developed western countries, its contribution to the economy, job opportunities, encountered problems and solutions were discussed.