Horses are dying due to heavy snowfalls in Yakutia.

In the Abyisky District of Yakutia, approximately 40 Yakut horses died due to heavy snow. The animals are unable to escape the meter-deep snowdrifts and find food beneath them. Local drovers try to pull out the animals on snowmobiles, but not everyone can help. 

The regional Ministry of Agriculture promised to release precise information about the dead animals on March 10. 

"These are natural challenges, and no one is immune. Of course, people knew there would be heavy precipitation throughout the winter and tried to clear the snow with tractors. But Yakut horses roam wild, so you can't predict where they'll go, especially in the North," commented information from Sakhaday, Minister of Agriculture Artem Alexandrov. 

Similar incidents occurred in the winter of 2016. After that, farmers received assistance in rebuilding their herds—in the spring of 2017, approximately 200 breeding horses were brought into the area. It's unclear whether the farmers will receive assistance this year. 

Record snowfalls this year have hit not only Yakutia, but also Sakhalin, Kamchatka, and other regions. Animals aren't the only ones suffering from the precipitation: snow-related accidents perished five people in two weeks of February. 

Photos and videos: Telegram channel KRIMYAKUTIYA