IFAW: Russia Bans Winter Den Hunt for Bears – Countless Cubs Saved

New legislation has been enacted in Russia, which will effectively end the cruel hunting practice of rousting bears from their dens during winter hibernation and then shooting them.

Often, this hunting practice left tiny bear cubs orphaned, which would quickly die of starvation or freeze to death.

Since 1995, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has campaigned to end the winter den hunt and to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphan bear cubs back into the wild. To date, IFAW has successfully released more than 150 cubs from its rehabilitation center in Bubonitsy, in the Tver region of Russia.

“The ‘Rules of the Hunt’ legislation is a tremendous step forward for animal welfare in Russia and reflects the desire of the Russian people to protect bears from this type of hunting,” said IFAW Russia director, Dr. Maria Vorontsova.

Robbie Marsland, IFAW UK Director added, “In 2009, IFAW gathered more than 400,000 signatures against the winter den hunt. This shows the strength of public opinion to stop this cruel practice.”

The new law significantly reduces the hunting season for bears and specifically excludes the winter, when bears are hibernating in their dens. Brown bears can now only be hunted from 1 April to 31 May and from August 1 to November 30. Hunting of the Asiatic black bears is now allowed only from 1 August to 30 November.

In addition to the ban on winter den hunting, under the new law, it is now illegal to hunt bears that are less than one year old, and females with cubs under one year old.

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For more information contact: Kevin Flack, IFAW UK Press Office, 020 7587 6710 or 07769 657291.
About IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare)

Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.