Cyprus hunting season begins

Thousands of hunters were out on Sunday, the first day of the new hunting season, which began with appeals by the government for safety.

This year there is more game, with the number of hare released in the wild up by 15-20 per cent and about 150.000 partridges freed for the season.

Interior Minister Christos Patsalides has urged hunters to comply with the written as well as the unwritten laws governing this sport and to pay the utmost attention to their safety and the safety of others.

The UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus has warned hunters not to venture into the buffer zone as “they are running the risk of drawing fire from either of the opposite forces.”

The buffer zone, patrolled by UNFICYP, separates the northern Turkish occupied part of Cyprus from the southern government controlled areas of the Republic. The military of both sides maintains positions along the buffer zone.