In the Kirovohrad region, hunting wild animals will be permitted from October 4 to prevent the spread of rabies and African swine fever. This has caused public outcry over the inhumane treatment of animals migrating to the Kirovohrad region.
This was announced by Volodymyr Kasukhnych, director of the Central Forest Office branch, according to Suspilne Kropyvnytskyi.
According to him, in recent years, the number of ungulates, fur-bearing animals, and predators has increased significantly and exceeds acceptable norms. This creates risks of spreading dangerous diseases—rabies and African swine fever—which pose a threat to wild fauna as well as domestic animals. The official promises to ensure control of this year's hunting season to prevent the spread of disease.
Deputy Head of the Regional Military Administration Natalia Revenko said that the Ministry of Environment (liquidated) has approved limits on the number and types of animals that can be hunted. A total of 25 organizations will be allowed to hunt: hunting and fishing clubs in the region and the Central Forestry Office.
The preliminary plan is to open the hunting season for foxes, wolves, and raccoon dogs on October 4. Hunting for ungulates will be allowed from November 1, 2025, to January 2026.
Zoologist Oleksandr Ponomarenko said that over the past three years, the fox population has increased by 68% — that's 1,200 individuals, wolves — by more than 100, and jackals — by 81.
The opinion of Kirovohrad residents
The authorities' decision sparked lively discussions on social media. Kirovohrad residents who oppose the culling of animals believe that it is inhumane to shoot animals that flee to Kirovohrad region from frontline territories.
Other commentators did not protest against hunting animals, but emphasized the increase in the number of foxes in the region, which (according to the commentators) can carry rabies and steal domestic animals.
Expert opinion
"The main natural reservoir of rabies is the population of mouse-like rodents. They reproduce four times a year and are so prolific that rabies constantly circulates among them. Foxes eat them. And when a fox catches a rabid mouse and bites its lip, the fox becomes infected with rabies," said Oleksandr Ponomarenko, senior researcher at the Dnipro-Orilsky Reserve in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Oleksandr Ponomarenko added that no animals, even highly mobile ones, stray so far from the front line, as there is a certain density of animals and competition throughout Ukraine. For example, if an animal comes from a forest located on the edge of the combat zone and moves far enough away, there will be a bunch of local animals that will compete with it.
"Therefore, animals, avoiding competition, try to spread out more or less evenly across peaceful territories, and there are simply no clusters in the Kirovohrad region. That is, animals fleeing the fighting move 20 or 30 kilometers away to a new, more or less free forest. They will not migrate far because they have no need to do so. Therefore, the mass migration of animals from war is really a myth," added the zoologist.
According to the expert, wolves should not be shot because they naturally improve the population, and in Europe they are not particularly hunted. Foxes, on the other hand, pose a much higher risk of transmitting rabies to domestic animals, so, according to the expert, declaring a hunt for them is partly the right decision.
Earlier, EcoPolitics wrote about the rules hunters must follow during the hunting season and the list of documents required for this:
The documents required for hunting are:
1) Hunter's certificate; annual card for recording game caught and hunting violations with a mark of payment of state duty;
2) Permit for hunting game animals (license, shooting card, etc.);
3) Appropriate permit for the right to use firearms for hunting;
4) Passport for hunting dogs, other hunting animals, and birds with a mark indicating admission to hunting for the current year if they are used during hunting.
