Tundra Inhabitants Suffer from Bears and Wolves

Last year the committee on the affairs of minorities of the North received applications from a few tens of families who live in Tundra and who suffered from an invasion of wolves and bears. The beasts of prey destroy food reserves, break sledges, attack deer and people.

According to the Tazovsky department of the Yamalo-Nenets area hunting administration, 150 wolves and about 30 bears live on the territory of the region.

In 2003, it is planned to allocate special means from the regional budget for the programme of the struggle against beasts of prey and natural calamities.

Head of the regional department of the hunting administration Anatoly Sankov reported that the inspection's specialists were ready to react to the signals of calamity coming from tundra at any time.

The tundra inhabitants and amateur hunters are themselves fighting the beasts of prey as well. It is permitted to shoot down wolves all the year round, and bears - during the hunting season only. When the hunting season is over one should have special permission to shoot bears.