The Ministry of Natural Resources of Dagestan reports settlement of the problem of freezing pelicans

Employees of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Dagestan (MNRD) report that the peak situation with pelicans freezing in Dagestan has passed with minimum losses among the birds. Human rights activists and representatives of local mass media disagree and consider that the danger of mass loss of birds still remains.

The actions of NMRD on rendering aid to a band of Dalmatian pelicans which came flying to the territory of the shipyard of Makhachkala were well-timed, aligned and accurate, Head of Press service of the Ministry Arslan Dydymov told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

“The more so it was during the first days when the birds were weakened which demanded urgent and at the same time thought-out solutions. Just this helped us go through a grave and peak situation with minimum losses among the birds and made it possible for many townsmen to come to see the birds”, Arslan Dydymov says.

According to him, incompetent uses spread unreliable information in the blogosphere about the measures taken by MNRD for saving the birds listed on the Red Book.

“Only our desire to receive evidence of safety of eating frozen fish for the pelicans was the reason why first not so much fish was brought for the birds’ additional fertilizing. Then the ration was increased. Seafood was purchased on personal money of the employees of the Ministry because no respective financing was allotted. Later when other organizations, including charitable ones, joined the action there emerged the necessity of warehousing and storage of fish”,  Arslan Dydymov added.

However, no less than 20 pelicans died as a result of anomalous frost, Elena Denisenko, representative of “Memorial” Human Rights Center in Dagestan, states.

“There are still many weakened birds who most likely will not survive during the wintering. When we inquired why they were given so little fish a representative of MNRD explained it by weather conditions. The sea was allegedly frozen and nobody was fishing”, Elena Denisenko says.

“Memorial” is an organization protecting the rights of people, not animals but it is just too bad that the Dalmatian pelican listed on the Red Book may disappear because some officials neglect their duties”, Elena Denisenko declared.