Kyrgyzstan cracks down on poaching to protect rare wildlife
Kyrgyzstan has imposed large fines for illegal hunting and shooting of rare wild animals, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports from Bishkek.
The country introduced significant penalties for the illegal hunting and shooting of endangered species, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision.
Under the updated regulations, fines for killing animals listed in the Red Book are as follows:
· Snow leopard – 2 million som (over 11.1 million tenge);
· Argali (mountain sheep), maral (red deer), brown bear, Persian gazelle: 1.5 million som (more than 8.3 million tenge);
· Red dog, Pallas’s cat), lynx: 50,000 som (approximately 278,500 tenge).
Authorities note that these measures reflect Kyrgyzstan’s strengthened commitment to protecting its wildlife.
In December 2025, conservationists recorded the country’s first sighting of a Central Asian river otter in a decade – a discovery hailed as a sign of ecological resilience.
The snow leopard, officially recognized as a national symbol of Kyrgyzstan, remains one of the most strictly protected species under the new legislation.
Earlier, it was reported that Kyrgyzstan is set to open scientific and rehabilitation center for wild animals.
