Hunter fined 31,200 euros for killing protected bear

A man who intentionally shot and killed a protected brown bear in Ogre Municipality has been fined 31,200 euros, LSM reported.

The fine is equivalent to 40 minimum monthly wages. The killing caused an estimated 29,600 euros in damage to the environment, which the man has paid in full.

In October 2025, the man fired one shot from a rifle at the bear while hunting from a tower. He admitted guilt, expressed regret and agreed to the case being concluded through a prosecutor’s penal order.

The case was the first in which both the killing of a bear and the person who shot it were uncovered. The shooting took place at night during a hunt where hunters were permitted to shoot raccoon dogs, wild boar and foxes. Investigators found that the shooting was not in self-defence and that the hunter knew what animal he had shot.