Armenian police identify a man guilty of shooting and killing rare birds

The police reported it was Pogosyan, a resident of the Armavir Region, who was hunting for two griffon vultures. The Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection believes a fine for killing the endangered bird should be increased.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 4, photos of three men with killed griffon vultures included in the Red Book of Armenia appeared on the Internet. The police identified two out of three men, including Yu. Pogosyan and Arthur Mkrtchyan, the head of the Shenavan village. An electronic petition with a request to punish the guilty persons was prepared to file a complaint to the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection. As of October 5, it was signed by 1821 people.

It was Yu. Pogosyan, a 45-year-old resident of the Armavir Region, who was hunting for griffon vultures, the Armenian police reported. The investigation into the case is underway.

The fine for killing a griffon vulture amounts to 250,000 drams. Since two birds were killed, the total amount of the fine will be 500,000 drams (about 1046 US dollars), reported Gagik Manucharyan, the chief of the Environment Protection Department from the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection.

In Armenia, there were only several pairs of griffon vultures, noted Mamikon Gasabyan, the leader of the Bird Protection Union.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.