Russian region declares open season on wolves as number of attacks rise

Worried about attacks by wolves that are devouring reindeer in increasing numbers, the leader of Russia’s vast eastern Sakha Republic region has issued a decree initiating a three-month hunt.

The goal is to bring the wolf population of the vast region also known as Yakutia down from more than 3,500 to the “optimal number” of about 500, the official Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.

Sakha president Yegor Borisov was quoted as saying: “The population is more concerned than ever about mass wolf attacks on farm animals.

“We must determine a clear plan of action.”

In the resulting decree, Mr Borisov announced the start of a three-month campaign of “special measures for regulating the quantity of wolves” in Sakha, which stretches north of the Arctic Circle and has fewer than one million people despite being the size of India.

Domesticated reindeer are part of a way of life for many here, who herd them, eat their meat and use them for transport.

There will be monetary rewards for each wolf shot, and three prizes of about one million roubles (about £20,500) each for the top hunters, state broadcaster Vesti said.

According to Vesti, wolves killed 16,111 domesticated reindeer and 313 domesticated horses last year, costing herders a total of about 150 million roubles (£3.1m) in losses.