Russia's Rich Hunt Endangered Goats from Helicopters

A helicopter crash in Russia, which took place in January, brought to the media's attention a phenomenon that may be very widespread within the country's elite – that of hunting endangered animal species, which are on the brink of extinction, from up in the air. The aforementioned crash killed seven important Russian people, including President Dmitry Medvedev's personal envoy to parliament, as well as a top regional wildlife officer. The accident took place near the country's border with Kazakhstan, and has forced authorities to step in and take an interest in the matter.

Although it's doubtful the police will come to any sort of conclusion on the matter, as the very top officials at Kremlin and important businessmen could be involved in the scandal, the news is enjoying widespread attention in the Federation at this point. Near the January crash site, investigators found the carcasses of highly protected Argali sheep, the largest species of wild sheep on the planet today. Russia itself, despite occupying a sixth of the world's dry land, only houses abut 200 of the animals.

To get a glimpse of how authorities function in the former Soviet nation, consider the fact that officials started an investigation into how the aircraft could have crashed on such a good weather, but that they failed to take an interest into the killed sheep, despite environmental groups sending countless letters to them. They also ignored a petition signed by some 6,000 people, demanding an investigation into the illegal killings.

However, despite the lack of interest at a central level, a few pictures of the crash, and the knowledge that the party was hunting protected animals before they died helped propel the news into Russian mainstream media, and prompted the average citizen to take an interest in the matter. Marina Gridnyeva, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Russian Prosecutor-General, is quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that, “By referring this case to the investigation committee, the Prosecutor-General considers that this incident drew widespread public attention.”

That is to say, it takes public outrage, and the impossibility of covering everything up to make authorities in the country attempt an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. “This has only been revealed because of the air crash. This is the first case where there has been such an investigation and where the public will know real reasons and results of illegal hunting,” Vladimir Krever, who is the head of WWF Russia biosphere program, explained. Reuters reports that an yet-undetermined number of rich people in the country engage in similar activities as favorite past times.