Poachers who hunted a brown bear listed in the Red Book caught in Sariosiyo

During a joint operational raid conducted by state inspectors from the Main Departments of Ecology and Climate Change of Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions, a group of poachers who caused massive damage to the animal world was exposed.

When a "Niva Legend" (Niva Legend) car stopped on the road under suspicion was inspected, body parts of a rare and endangered predatory animal packed in a sack were discovered inside.

Weapons and 8 sacks found in the car

During the inspection, a veritable combat arsenal and the results of illegal hunting were found in the vehicle and documented as physical evidence:

• Animal body parts: It turned out that the dismembered bodies of one bear and 3 wild boars were being transported in 8 separate sacks in the trunk;

• Special hunting weapons: 5 hunting rifles of various brands, numerous ammunition, night and day binoculars, silencers, knives, flashlights, and axes were confiscated from the car cabin.

More than 679 million sums in material damage

During the investigation, it was revealed that the illegal hunting took place in the mountainous areas of Sariosiyo district, Surkhandarya region:

• Loss in the Red Book: It was confirmed that the killed predator is a rare, strictly protected Tien Shan brown bear included in the Red Book of Uzbekistan and the International Union for Conservation of Nature list;

• Damage caused to nature: As a result of the illegal extermination of one Tien Shan bear and 3 wild boars, serious material damage totaling 679 million 800 thousand sums was caused to the animal world.

A criminal case has been initiated

Strict measures are being taken against the violators in connection with the incident:

• All hunting weapons, ammunition, relevant permits, and hunting licenses were handed over to the Internal Affairs Directorate of Samarkand region for temporary storage, and the poachers' "Niva Legend" car was towed to an impound lot;

• A criminal case has been initiated against the offenders under Article 202, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Violation of the procedure for using flora or fauna, causing damage on a very large scale). Investigative actions are currently underway.