Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Russia Will Hunt Polar Bears to Save Them

Siberian officials hope legalizing hunting will end poaching

By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 16, 2007 8:08 AM CDT

(Newser) – Russia is lifting a fifty-year old ban on hunting polar bears, expressly to save the endangered species from extinction. Poaching has been endemic in Siberia since the injunction, but it's increased since shrinking sea ice has forced bears to search for food on shore, making them easier to kill.

Officials hope a limited legal hunt will mollify poachers, who the government estimates now kill as many as 100 a year, from a population that's shrunk to 2,000. The hunt could resume as soon as a census determines a quota that wouldn't threaten the bears' existence. One proponent cites a proverb: “The wolves would not be hungry, and the sheep would remain intact.”

Knut, the famous polar bear cub
Knut, the famous polar bear cub   (Getty Images (by Event))
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Bad News Plagues Bears

UN Rejects Polar Bear Trade Ban

Warming Is Polar Bears' Top Killer, Host Nations Agree

US Classifies Polar Bears as 'Threatened'

Canada Declares Polar Bears 'At Risk'


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne