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A Prince Killed Largest Living European Bear Across Border Of His Country, Sparking International Battle

PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images

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A Liechtenstein prince allegedly killed what was possibly the largest living bear in the whole Europe in Romania, sparking an international outcry, Wednesday reports show.

Romanian police will investigate the prospective poaching case involving Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein who is accused of illegal trophy hunting by Romanian environmental NGO “Agent Green,” according to the Associated Press.

The prince reportedly shot a 17-year-old brown bear named “Arthur” in March in a protected area of the Carpathian Mountains, the Guardian reported.

The member of the Liechtenstein royal family had been granted a four-day permit to hunt a problematic female bear that was damaging local farms, according to the document whose authenticity was confirmed by the AP.

“But in reality, the prince did not kill the problem bear, but a male that lived deep in the woods and had never come close to localities,” the NGOs claim. “The bear named Arthur has been observed for many years by the Agent Green ranger in the area and was known as a wild specimen not accustomed to the man’s presence and the food sources he offered.”

Brown bears are protected under both Romanian and international laws. Trophy hunting has been illegal in Romania since 2016, according to the Guardian. (REATED: Herd Of Wild Elephants Trample Suspected Poacher To Death)

Environment Minister of Romania Tánczos Barna confirmed in an interview to Digi24 news channel that an investigation has been launched, but noted that determining if the killed bear was the one covered by the permit would be “extremely complicated,” the report says.