YEREVAN. – Environmentalists claim wild animals are killed in Armenia for preparing exotic dishes.

The large restaurant complexes are keeping wild animals to entertain the guests, and also have dishes from their meat on the menu, head of Center for Bird Lovers NGO Silva Adamyan said during a press conference on Friday.

“In order to include dishes from wild boar or a bear, you must obtain a special permit,” she said.

Wealthy and influential people keep wild animals that are included in the IUCN Red List only for entertainment, she said, without giving any names.

“Wild animals are kept in poor conditions, they are often victims of abuse,” she noted.

Asked whether the organization or Nature Protection Ministry has data on the number of wild animals kept by individuals, the expert said there is no such list, although she had addressed previous minister Aram Harutyunyan.

Silva Adamyan plans to address newly appointed Minister Aramayis Grigorian with a proposal to conduct appropriate activities to determine whether the animals are kept legally and in appropriate conditions.