Bear listed in Red Book killed in Bostanlyk  

A Tien Shan brown bear, listed in Uzbekistan's Red Book, was found killed during a raid in the Bostanlyk district of the Tashkent region. The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change reported the incident.  

The Tashkent regional Ecology Department conducted a control raid in the "Akhsarsoy" area of the Burchmulla State Forestry Enterprise. During the raid, authorities discovered an animal skin. After analysis by the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences, it was confirmed to belong to a Tien Shan brown bear.  

Investigations revealed that the bear was killed using a homemade trap. The skin had been left behind, while other parts of the animal were taken.  

The collected evidence has been handed over to the regional Internal Affairs Department to identify and apprehend the offenders.  

The Tien Shan brown bear is classified as vulnerable in the Red Book of Uzbekistan and listed in Appendix I of CITES. This subspecies is widespread but fragmented in its distribution. Hunting this species is strictly prohibited.  

It is worth noting that a similar incident occurred on April 5, 2023, in the Chiraqchi district of Kashkadarya. A Red Book-listed brown bear, which had entered a residential area, was shot dead. The decision was made by the head of the Chiraqchi district Internal Affairs Department to ensure public safety after the bear attempted to climb a cliff surrounded by onlookers.