In Rakhiv district, a local forester was killing endangered animals (PHOTOS)

The State Agency of Forest Resources of Ukraine has begun an official investigation into the killing of animals, that are on the verge of extinction, in Transcarpathia, the Novoe Vremya reported.

The reason for this was the information of Facebook user Vasyl Shemota, who published photos of the forester and his son posing with killed animals after hunting for lynx and grouse.

He is a keeper of the Usteritsky forestry in Rakhiv district.

"There is a criminal liability for illegal killing of animals, in particular, for the killing of endangered species," – the agency emphasized.

It was also reported that the forester was suspended from his position for the period of investigation.

As it is noted, lynx in Ukraine is found in the Carpathians and in Polissya. According to the Red Book, its population in the former region is estimated at 350-400 species, in the latter – up to 80-90.

In turn, as of 2007, there were just over 13 thousand species of grouse in the country down from more than 66 thousand in 1970s.