Many bear cubs will be orphaned if the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment allows hunting of bears sleeping in dens.

In the draft amendments to the Hunting Rules, developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, offered Expand the hunting season for many animal species. According to the document, the hunting season for brown and Himalayan bears is extended by a month—from December 31 to February 28 (29). Hunting during this period involves hunting bears sleeping in dens and being virtually defenseless.

Experts interviewed by the environmental project "The earth touches everyone", count them.The amendments effectively legalize poaching: bears give birth during hibernation, and it's impossible to determine from the outside whether a male, a pregnant female, or a female with cubs is sleeping in a tree hollow. In this case, the risk of death for pregnant females or females with cubs is very high.

"Hunting bears during their hibernation period (November-February) and the birthing season (December-January) is strictly prohibited. And in the case of the Himalayan black bear, which hibernates in tree hollows, this not only results in the birth of orphaned cubs but also the destruction of the hollow trees.", says a researcher at the Animal Ecology Laboratory of the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Khabarovsk) Sergey Kolchin.

The Himalayan black bear is protected worldwide, with the exception of Russia: it was removed from the country's Red Data Book more than 25 years ago.

Vote against the amendments HERE.

Photo: David Blank