Readers reached out to me and sent horrific videos showing people tormenting an unfortunate she-wolf in the wild. The videos spread instantly through various hunting communities, where, amid gleeful reactions, not only is the abuse of the animal being endorsed, but there are also calls for others to do the same.
I will quote the message that was posted in those communities.
A she-wolf got caught in a hunter’s trap. He decided to keep her alive and use her as bait for other males because the female was found to be in heat. The man tied her up more securely and decided to feed her once every three days. The main thing was for her to make sounds and call others in. As a bonus, the wolf-hunter showed how to set traps—literally step for step
Apparently, the videos were filmed in Yakutia—at the very least, communities in this region are actively posting the story. In addition, we determined which language the person in the video is speaking: it is Yakut (Sakha tyla), a Turkic language spoken in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia, Russian Federation).
It is truly horrifying how much indifference surrounds us. When such madness happens right before our eyes, almost no one reacts.
Just think about it: the she-wolf’s leg was broken, and then, exploiting the animal’s helpless condition—starving her in the freezing cold—people lured other wolves to her while she was in heat, with one single goal: to destroy the “sanitarians” of the wild.
We must respond. We already have the necessary data and information; everything will be submitted to the relevant authorities and an official review will be initiated.
The Hunting Rules of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation (Order No. 477) were violated. They explicitly require that trapping/shooting be carried out by methods that do not permit cruel treatment. If a she-wolf is kept in a trap (or on a tether) “so that she makes sounds,” and is intentionally left for a long time—starved in the freezing cold—this contradicts the requirement of “no cruel treatment.”
Federal Law No. 498-FZ “On Responsible Treatment of Animals” was violated. This law establishes the general principle that animals must be protected from cruelty. In addition, a separate provision prohibits the promotion of cruel treatment. If the hunter demonstrated “how to set traps” specifically as an instructional video while showing suffering and following the logic of “keep her there to lure males,” this falls under the ban on promoting cruelty. The assessment will be carried out by state authorities.
- And if the animal was tortured deliberately and the cruel treatment resulted in death or injury, with the intent to cause pain and suffering, there is already a risk of classification as a criminal offense under Article 245 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
What will we do, Allies? Leave it unpunished and let them continue tormenting and killing wild animals? Or will we speak out and demand accountability?
We are taking this case on.
Such actions must not go unpunished—otherwise, by a chain reaction, wild animals will continue to be brutally destroyed through methods of torture. And this becomes the norm in society.
We launched a public initiative under number #31012026-578 and will seek an official review by state authorities of all circumstances of the case. Statements will be prepared and submitted to the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Rosprirodnadzor.
It is known that several people were present in the published videos, which may indicate an offense committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.
Public attention is crucial right now. Take part in our initiative—sign it. And please wait for the next instructions and information about this case.
The she-wolf was tortured in the freezing cold for many days, using torturous trapping devices, while other wolves were lured to the suffering animal. Let’s respond so this never happens again!
© PAVEL PASHKOV
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