A European prince, Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein, has come under fire for killing the largest brown bear in Europe earlier this year.

An investigation has been opened looking into if the Liechtenstein prince violated the country preservation laws. It’s being reported that the bear was killed in a protected region of Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. 

Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein, who lives in Austria, was granted a 4-day hunting permit for a March hunt in Romania’s Covasna County. On March 13th, he shot and killed a 17-year-old brown bear that allegedly cost him around $8500 USD. 

Octavian Berceanu, a senior official from Romania’s environmental ministry, was reported to have said an investigation was launched last week with suspicions of poaching. The Romanian AGO Agent Green monitored the bear for 9 years and said that he lived “deep in the wild” and had no human interaction. 

In 2016 the Romanian government banned trophy hunting but allowed hunting permits for “problematic” animals, which obviously doesn’t apply to this case. Permits are issued as a last resort if relocation measures don’t work out. 

Due to the size of the bear the prince killed, which they named Arthur, it was considered a “Golden” trophy that is a prized specimen and can bring in as much as $25,000. It is also being said that Arthur may have been the largest bear in the European Union.

It’s also important to add that brown bears are a protected species under international and Romanian laws. Romania actually outlawed trophy hunting in 2016, so that makes this case even more important. However, successive governments have granted exceptions over the years, issued by the environment minister, in the case of bears that have caused serious damage or threatened people. There is no evidence that Arthur had done these things, though.

Barns Tanczos, Environment Minister, reported to local media that figuring out if the bear the prince took was the correct target is “extremely complicated.”

Many believe that trophy hunting must continue to be outlawed with no exceptions. I happen to be on that side of this argument and hope that this is resolved quickly and efficiently. Whether this was a mistake or not, I hope it sets an example that these laws are not guidelines. These animals and the land they reside on deserve to be protected.