DUSHANBE, May 24, 2011, Asia-Plus — Residents of Tajikistan”s southern Kulob region, Khatlon province say attacks by wolves on livestock are becoming more frequent, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.
Wolves killed more than 50 sheep and goats in Kulob”s Shouroobod and Muminobod districts last week.
Experts at the Kulob regional department for the environment say the region”s wolf population has increased dramatically in the last several years.
A resident of Shouroobod who gave his name as Saikhomid told RFE/RL that wolves took two of his sheep and one goat in the last several days.
Saikhomid said attacks by wolves had increased this year and it was becoming more difficult to protect livestock.
Amirqul Jurayev of the Kulob regional department for the environment said that the local authorities had had to resume culling boars and wolves.
He said the local authorities had always allowed farmers to shoot boars in order to protect their wheat fields, and have now decided to allow them to kill wolves as well.
Shouroobod resident Ahmad Valiyev said that it was very hard to protect livestock from wolves, as the local authorities have confiscated all guns and rifles.
“The police have confiscated guns on the grounds that the owners” permits have expired. It would be great if instead of confiscating guns, they could prolong the permit for a fee and allow residents to keep their guns to protect themselves and their livestock,” Valiyev said.
