Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Armenian ecologists have protested against killing of animals in the country, which could lead to extinction of some rare animal species.

The animal rights defender Karine Panosyan recently voiced her concern about alarming situation of wolves in Armenia.

"I'm afraid that there will be no wolves in Armenia within several years. Wolf plays the role of sanitizer in the forests. It protects the ecological environment in the forests within bioclimatic requirements. Wolves are also important for the human existence," Panosyan noted.

Armenia's mostly highland landscape and widespread forests pave the way for the settlement of various species of animals in the country. Forests are very attractive for the hunters, as well as the poachers in the former Soviet country. Illegal hunting poses a harsh threat to wolves together with other fauna species in Armenia.

Panosyan said the government was unable to control the hunting trend in the forests, as illicit hunting of wolves put them into a danger of extinction. "Wolves are massively killed in Armenia. We have ruined their environment."

She touched upon another important milestone in respect of wolves conditions in Armenia. Panosyan elucidated the main reason of the wolves' attacks on livestock in rural regions. "Forests in the country are deprived of other animal species, as well. So, wolves started to attack the livestock, as they lost their main preys," she said.

Wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act to be among the endangered species of wildlife. The most common cause of wolf deaths is conflict with people over livestock losses, which is widely spread in Armenia. The uncontrolled shooting of the hares and other small wild animals in Armenia lead the starving wolves to attack the livestock even in the summer. The government failed to find a smart solution and allowed and even encouraged, the hunters to massively destroy the wolves and foxes in the country.

Nature is a common home for all creatures on the earth and any terror against the nature in any corner of the world is among the most dangerous crimes directed against the world and mankind. No one is allowed to harm or destroy the natural heritage of the world and eco-terrorism should be prevented.

Stopping the degradation of the planet's natural environment is among the missions of the World Wide Fund for Nature, an international non-governmental organization, which works on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment.

Terror against nature in Armenia is orchestrated at the state level. The ecologists are quite concerned over the actions of high-ranking officials, who sacrifice the natural reserve of the cities and regions for their luxury mansions. The continuous deforestation in the country deprives the wild animals of their natural nests. The Social Watch, international network of citizens' organizations, reported deforestation in Armenia has escalated to an alarming level. Only 7 percent of its territory remains forested to deepen the imbalanced natural order in the country. Use of wood for fuel on the background of alternative energy sources' shortage triggers the destruction of the country's fauna and flora. Total deforestation in Armenia has turned into one of the driving factors leaving the wolves and other animals without dens by increasing their extinction risk.

Mother nature treats everyone to all its natural resources without any return. It plays a vital role in our healthy life, as there is no sound body and mind aside from nature. Thus, one must take care of our common home - our planet. It is necessary to avoid any dangerous action and fight against every harmful activities, which can leave an open scare on the planet.