Hedgehog and snake soup sellers detained in Fergana (video)

Videos showing the preparation and sale of soup made from snakes and hedgehogs in the Fergana region have been circulated on social media. The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change has issued a statement regarding the incident.

It was noted that the video circulating online was reviewed by the regional Ecology Department together with officers of the 1st regional Patrol-post service.

The investigation revealed that in the dunes of the “Zilha” neighborhood of Oltiarik district and the “Boston Buva” neighborhood of Buvayda district, citizens were illegally keeping hedgehogs and snakes, preparing soup from them, and selling it.

“The relevant documents have been formalized and sent to the judicial authorities”, the report stated.

It is worth noting that earlier, it was reported that in a teahouse located in the Yangiyul district of the Tashkent region, sparrow meat was being grilled and sold as “shashlik”. An administrative protocol was drawn up against the head of the teahouse under Part 1, Article 63 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (Illegal hunting, procurement of fishery products, and collection of wild plants). He was fined 4 million 120 thousand soums.