From July to December 2025, hunters in Belarus shot 39 brown bears. This was reported by Stepan Guzney, Deputy Head of the Department for Control over the Protection and Use of Wildlife of the State Inspectorate for Wildlife Protection under Lukashenka, during a live broadcast at the "Belarus Today" publishing house.
Photo: Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen
The official also noted that four lynxes have been shot so far, and hunting for them will continue until January 31.
Since May 21, 2025, brown bears and lynxes have been included in the list of regulated game animals. These animals have received a dual status: they are simultaneously considered game species and species listed in the Red Book. Until now, hunting for bears in Belarus had been banned for almost a hundred years, and for lynxes — since the early 1980s.
Scientists note that the bear population in the country has significantly increased: from 580 individuals in 2021 to 913 in 2024. More than two-thirds of the entire population — about 74 percent — lives in the Vitebsk region.
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