Murat Zhekeleev, a member of the hunters' union of the Kochkor district, told Turmush in an interview that their organization consists of about 50 people — with 3–4 representatives from each village. Their main task is to protect the local fauna, and they only hunt wolves, crows, and magpies. “Last year we killed more than 100 wolves, and their skins were submitted to the commission. However, we have not received any rewards for them. This demotivates the hunters. Nevertheless, this year we have already shot more than 150 wolves. Their numbers continue to grow, which negatively affects the ecosystem. Hunting wolves is not an easy task: we have to cross swamps, dense forests, rivers, sometimes fall off horses, experiencing hunger and fatigue. Ammunition is expensive. We hope that the government will finally pay us the money owed and appreciate our work,” he noted.
Another hunter, Zhanibek Kuttukeev, added that they continue the fight against predators and try to reduce their population. “For one wolf, the government promises 6000 soms, and for a jackal — 2000 soms. Despite the efforts of the district administration and our union, we still have not received the payments due. In other regions, hunters, as we are told, receive their money on time. But we have not seen rewards for wolves and jackals since February of last year. The Ministry of Natural Resources seems to take this lightly. The lack of payments undermines the motivation of hunters, and the growing wolf population could lead to serious ecological problems,” he added.
Other members of the union also mentioned the high prices of ammunition and the increasing number of wolves. “If the number of wolves increases, it threatens nature. Birds, hares, and other small forest animals are disappearing. We are independently engaged in nature conservation and reducing the population of predators such as wolves and jackals. It would be good if government rewards for wolves and jackals were paid on time. Since last year, we have continued to present the commission with the wolves we have shot. But the lack of payments leaves us disappointed. We transport skins from remote villages, spend money, face unpleasant odors, and in the end, we are left with nothing but losses,” they shared.
