SULAIMANI (ESTA) — A Kurdish environmental activist warns against “genocide” of deer in the Kurdistan Region’s Garmian administration, after three suspects were detained over hunting.
Police chief in Khanaqin Arkan Hamid said in a statement on Monday that three suspects were detained over hunting deer in Qoratu sub-district in Garmian.
The Kurdish forces also seized an AK-47, two magazines, 58 bullets and two radios during the detention of the suspects, Arkan added.
“The three persons killed a deer,” he noted.
Head of Garmian Environment Organization Ibrahim Zarif told Esta Media Network that forest police had not been able to protect deer and other animals in the area due to the economic facing the Kurdistan Region.
“This has led to genocide of the wild animals in the area,” Zarif said.
The number of deer in the Garmian administration has dropped to less than 5,000 from 12,000 due to hunting, according to the organization’s statistics.
“It is a dangerous rate,” Zarif added.
He warned that the number of wild animals in Garmian would drop further if measures are not taken against hunters in the administration.
