In the village of Internacional, located in the Kulundinsky ayil aimak, an unknown predator ruthlessly exterminated chickens and, as mentioned earlier, killed 50 turkeys belonging to a local resident. Moreover, it broke through the roof of a newly built house.
The villagers managed to catch this animal that threatened their birds. The village head, Avazbek Kоңurbaev, noted that the exact identification of the predator remains unknown, but the damage it caused is significant.
“During a recent border conflict, the house of one of our villagers burned down, and he built a new one. This animal broke through the roof and made a den there. In one night, it killed 50 turkeys and many chickens. We noticed that the number of such animals has increased in our area. Yesterday we caught one, but since it is listed in the Red Book, we had to release it,” Kоңurbaev said.
The villagers suspect that it might be a stoat [“ars chychkan”].
It is also possible that it is a stone marten. Its body length is 38—59 cm, the tail is 23—32 cm, and its weight can reach 2500 grams.
The marten has a slender and powerful body, with relatively large, pointed ears. The length of the tail of the stone marten significantly exceeds the length of its limbs.
The fur of the forest marten is usually dark brown, while the stone marten has a lighter color with a pale tint. It has a white spot on its throat and chest, which earned it the nickname “white-throated.”
Ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky commented to Turmush that the captured animal is a stone marten (“suusar”) or white-throated.
Marten species in Kyrgyzstan inhabit exclusively mountainous areas at altitudes of 1500 to 3000 meters. “In summer, they ascend higher. These predators actively hunt at any time of day, climb trees, and easily swim across rivers. Each animal has its territory, which it does not allow intruders to enter. The stone marten feeds on small mammals and birds. One hunter, who lived many years in the Chatkal Valley, recounted that he often found a marten in a poplar hollow where a bee swarm was located, believing that it climbed there for honey. Previously, marten pelts were in high demand, but today hunting them is prohibited,” Sosnovsky added.
Earlier, in a comment to Turmush, ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky emphasized that the stoat is widespread in Kyrgyzstan and is naturally designed for exterminating rodents. In summer, its color is ochre-brown, while in winter it is completely white, with a black tip on the tail. Stoats are the smallest representatives of weasels and predatory mammals in Kyrgyzstan. “The least weasel weighs about 100 grams, while the stoat weighs about 200 grams. Despite their small size, they are true predators of mouse-like rodents. Other predators may be evaded by mice hiding underground, but the stoat pursues and destroys them even in their burrows. It does not stop hunting even after eating,” he noted.
Sosnovsky also mentioned that the stoat can accumulate trophies, finding up to a dozen voles under rocks, with only their brains eaten. These predators can follow their prey into forests and highlands, and in winter, they hibernate under the snow, significantly reducing the rodent population by spring. Interestingly, stoat pelts were previously used to create royal mantles, requiring hundreds of these animals' pelts,” he concluded.
