Wolves killed two women in the village of Midenshor, Porshnev jamoat in Shugnan district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).  The tragedy reportedly occurred in the early morning of March 7. 

Residents of the village say the 83-year-old Amalbegim Tashrifbekova and her 55-year-old daughter Mastibegim Davandova walked into their yard early Thursday morning to prepare for the Muslim morning prayer when a pack of wolves attacked them; both women died.   

The Emergencies Committee under the Government of Tajikistan has confirmed the information about this incident.   

Chairman of the Association of Hunters of Tajikistan, Alikhon Latifi, says it is necessary to neutralize those wolves so they would not attack other people.

“After neutralizing the wolves it is necessary to test them for rabies,” said Latifi.  “Last year, several wolves were killed in the central part of Tajikistan and the test showed that they were infected with rabies.”

According to him, it is necessary to carry out biotechnical activities to reveal the exact number of wolves and reduce the wolf population in the area.   

Recall, at least three people, including two children, have been attacked by wolves in the Suchan jamoat alone, Shugnan district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

According to local residents, before the wolves only attacked livestock, but now they have started attacking humans.

In January, a wolf attacked a five-year-old boy in the village of Dashtak, some nine kilometers to the east of Khorog, the administrative center of the GBAO, in the daytime.  People came in time to help and the wolf left the boy and ran away.

Last month, two people, including a 6-year-old boy were attacked by wolves in the Suchan jamoat.  In the Dashtak village, a wolf has attacked a police officer in the evening.  Neighbors have reportedly come in time and saved him.

Several days later, a wolf attacked a 6-year-old boy in the neighboring village of Sipindz in the daytime.  Relatives managed to save the boy.     

Local residents say they have just pitchforks and shovels to fight wolves when necessary.

Local police jointly with hunting firm have launched an operation to neutralize the pack that numbers more than ten wolves.  Last month, they reportedly killed three wolves.

The heavy snowfall in the region in the last several weeks forced the wolves to come down from the mountains to local villages where they have attacked livestock and people.