With money you can buy anything – and with enough money you can even buy the largest brown bear in Europe.

His name was Arthur and is now probably hanging in Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein’s parlor (42).

He is said to have shot a famous bear while visiting the Romanian Carpathians in March, as the magazine “K-Tipp”writes.

According to the Romanian environmental organization “Agent Green”, the brown bear Arthur was the “largest bear in Europe”.

The prince is silent

How it came to this shooting permit, Prince Emanuel does not want to reveal.

“Personally, I do not want to get involved in the discussion in any way,” said the prince.

According to the Austrian “Kronenzeitung” , the Romanian Ministry of the Environment has launched an investigation.

According to the ministry, the prince actually had a permit – but for a much smaller “problem bear”. He is now accused of aiming at Arthur because of the trophy. Because, according to the “Jagdreport”, this brings very 592.8 out of a possible 600 “trophy points”.

The blue-blooded man lives in Austria and works as a doctor in addition to his prince role. He also manages the Riegersburg – a Styrian landmark that is family-owned.

Prince Emanuel is not the first to hit the headlines with his hunting escapades: This is what happened to the Spanish King Juan Carlos, who repeatedly went elephant hunting in Botswana – notably as WWF Honorary President of Spain. Which brought the monarch a worldwide wave of indignation in 2012.

Gabi Paun, biologist and managing director of the Romanian environmental organization “Agent Green”, condemns the trophy hunt: “It is as reprehensible as the ivory trade.”

Because killing large male animals would weaken the bear population. That is scientifically proven. The environmentalist is therefore calling for a total ban on trophy hunting for foreigners.

Source: Blick [CH]

The Prince as a poacher

The 17-year-old, healthy brown bear, considered one of the largest of its kind in all of Europe, is said to have been shot in Romania on March 13th.

You have to know that bears are also protected in Romania, as Mihai Dragan, spokesman for the Romanian Ministry of the Environment, says. “Unless it is a problem animal that causes enormous damage or puts people in mortal danger.” For such an animal, reported by a farmer in the Romanian town of Ojdula, Covasna, a special permit for “extraction from nature” has been granted.

The bear was a national pride in Romania However, according to the accusation of the conservationists of “Agent Green”, it was not the problem bear mentioned (a female, rather a small animal), but a stately, 17-year-old brown bear. This was something like a national pride of many Romanians – shot to death in a “Natura 2000” region in the Carpathian Mountains.

“I visited the farmer who reported the “problem” bear – and that bear in question is still there. As far as we know, the gentleman from Styria obtained permission to shoot it, but did not shoot this problem bear, but a bear that is considered a valuable trophy. All of this is now being examined.” – Gabriel Paun from “Green Agent”,

The owner of the Riegersburg is said to have received the shooting license, but instead of the problem bear, he shot the big male brown bear. The accusation of the animal rights activists: because of the trophy. According to the “Jagdreport”, this brings a very high 592.8 out of a possible 600 “trophy points”.

Liechtenstein has been asked several times by the “Krone” for comments. But the prince is silent.

Many questions are still open.

Spokesman Dragan confirms that the ministry has opened an investigation.

Many questions remain unanswered:

According to Dragan, the ministry issues a special permit for a bear, and the local hunters then take care of the shooting. How did the prince from Styria get permission to shoot in Romania? How can an experienced marksman “mistake” a small female animal for a male “giant”? And why does the doctor not respond to inquiries?

The investigations are in full swing.

We also interviewed the man who allegedly organized the hunt on site and who is said to have been on the road with the Styrian prince. He only says: “No comment.” However, when asked, he does not deny that the hunt took place.

The results of the investigation by the Romanian Ministry should be available in a few days, officials investigated the possible crime scene on Tuesday.

Source: Kronen Zeitung