Economic crisis saved bear's life

The risk of hunting for brown bears declined sharply during the economic downturn as hunters could not afford the cost of shooting them.

Brown bears can reach weights between 130 and 700 kg.Photo: bear.org .

"Hunters, count the money before pulling the trigger!" The daily 24 Hours joked so after reporting a French citizen deliberately missed a large brown bear in the hunting area of ​​Rakitovo in southern Bulgaria because he could not pay 19,000 euros (25,970 USD) to the animal. The man then asked the hunting area management to allow him to shoot a "smaller and cheaper" bear, but this request was rejected.

According to AFP, hunters in Bulgaria pay a sum for each bear they shoot. The bigger the bear, the bigger the money.

Standard in Bulgaria said the biggest brown bears at risk of losing their lives due to hunters would have to spend up to 25,000 euros (nearly $ 30,000) to defeat them.

Brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) are bears with brown, black or yellow fur or all three colors. They are distributed in North America, Europe and Asia. Grizzly bears, Kodiak, Mexican brown bears are brown bear breeds living in North America.

Currently the number of brown bears worldwide is about 200,000, of which Russia has 120,000. There are about 14,000 brown bears in Europe distributed outside Russia. Scientists say Bulgaria only has about 850 brown bears.