Rusik
Encyclopedia
Rusik was the first and only Russian police sniffer cat at Stavropol
near the Caspian sea
. He made an important contribution in the search for hidden illegal cargoes of Sturgeon
fish, an endangered animal species.
Rusik began his crimefighting career when he appeared at the police checkpoint in 2002. Following his adoption by the staff, Rusik demonstrated his ability to sniff out sturgeon-smugglers' stashes with astonishing accuracy. His talent for sniffing out poached fish soon found him taking over the job of the police's canine team member.
Rusik died in the line of duty on 12 July 2003, when he was hit by a car during an inspection. He had apparently found smuggled sturgeon in the same car some time before, according to personnel at the police checkpoint where Rusik worked. Some local sources expressed their belief that Rusik was the object of a contract killing, but the truth is still unclear. Rusik was a siamese with only a year's service. He died a few weeks after Barsik, another police cat who was poisoned with a mouse.
Stavropol
-International relations:-Twin towns/sister cities:Stavropol is twinned with: Des Moines, United States Béziers, France Pazardzhik, Bulgaria-External links:* **...
near the Caspian sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. He made an important contribution in the search for hidden illegal cargoes of Sturgeon
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
fish, an endangered animal species.
Rusik began his crimefighting career when he appeared at the police checkpoint in 2002. Following his adoption by the staff, Rusik demonstrated his ability to sniff out sturgeon-smugglers' stashes with astonishing accuracy. His talent for sniffing out poached fish soon found him taking over the job of the police's canine team member.
Rusik died in the line of duty on 12 July 2003, when he was hit by a car during an inspection. He had apparently found smuggled sturgeon in the same car some time before, according to personnel at the police checkpoint where Rusik worked. Some local sources expressed their belief that Rusik was the object of a contract killing, but the truth is still unclear. Rusik was a siamese with only a year's service. He died a few weeks after Barsik, another police cat who was poisoned with a mouse.
External links
- Fishy end for feline sleuth, BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3061243.stm