On January 27, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. A criminal case has been initiated in the Vitebsk region regarding illegal bear hunting, as reported to BELTA correspondent by Vasily Lemeshev, head of the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate for Wildlife and Flora. The carcass of a young female bear was discovered several days ago by a gamekeeper of one of the forestry enterprises in the Orsha district. The animal, which is listed in the Red Book of Belarus, was killed near its den. As Vasily Lemeshev explained, despite the onset of frost, the bears had not yet hibernated, so there was nothing unusual about the female bear roaming the forest. According to the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, there are at least 150 bears in the region. The distribution area of the mini-populations is wide, with almost all forestry enterprises in the region noting the presence of the animal on their territory. The Inspectorate for Wildlife and Flora preliminarily estimates the damage caused by the killing of the female bear in the Orsha district at Br10 million. A criminal case has been initiated under Part 4 of Article 282 "Illegal Hunting" of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which provides for imprisonment for up to six years. According to Vasily Lemeshev, there is a suspect in this case. In 2011, the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate for Wildlife and Flora identified over 2,500 poachers who violated hunting and fishing regulations and illegally felled trees. The total damage to nature from their illegal actions exceeded Br2.3 billion. 142 criminal cases were initiated against poachers. -0-

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