Gazelle hunting in Azerbaijan not licensed even for AZN 1M – ministry

A license for gazelle hunting in the territory of Azerbaijan is not issued even for one million manats, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources told APA.

 

Azerbaijan included gazelles in the Red Book as endangered species in 1989, the ministry said warning that the hunting of gazelles either in protected areas (reserves, national parks) or in territories of general status is considered a crime.

 

"If all projects on protection of gazelles succeed and the number of gazelles exceeds the capacity of areas to feed, then necessary measures can be taken for the regulation of population,” said the ministry.  

 

According to the ministry, though gazelles were on the verge of extinction since the second of the 20th century, a significant increase was recorded in the number of gazelles as a result of activities carried out by the Azerbaijani government in cooperation with animal welfare organizations.

 

The aerial survey conducted in 1960 found 131 gazelles in the territory of Azerbaijan, the ministry recalled.

 

"Following the establishment of Shirvan National Park under late President Heydar Aliyev’s order in 2003, a significant growth was recorded in the number of gazelles and their number exceeded 7,000 in the short term,” said the ministry. "As a result of joint efforts of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the IDEA Public Union and the World Wildlife Fund, the project on the protection, reintroduction and restoration of historical habitats of gazelles in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus is being implemented successfully.”   

 

Within the framework of the project over the past six years, about 170 gazelles were caught in the territory of the Shirvan National Part and released into the Ajinohur-Sarija lowland, Bozdagh mountain range and Agggol and Gobustan plateau, added the ministry.