Suspect in Latvia bear shooting may be ordered to pay €31,000 in damages
In Latvia, a man suspected of illegally shooting a brown bear in Ogre Municipality may be ordered to compensate €31,000 in damages. The materials of the criminal proceedings have been transferred to the prosecutor's office to initiate criminal prosecution, LSM English reports, citing the Latvian State Police.
The bear was found in a car trailer
On October 31, 2025, officers of the State Forest Service informed police about the illegal hunting of a bear in Taurupe Parish, Ogre Municipality. The information was confirmed, and the body of a dead brown bear was found in a car trailer.
At the scene, law enforcement officers encountered two men born in 1972 and 1976. Police seized their weapons and the animal's body, after which examinations were ordered.
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One man was given suspect status
The investigation established that the brown bear was shot by a man born in 1972, who was granted suspect status. Proceedings against the second man, born in 1976, were terminated because, according to the investigation's conclusion, he did not take part in the offense.
The illegally obtained animal was three years old. According to police, if convicted, the suspect could theoretically face up to five years in prison. On September 2, 2026, approximately ten months after the bear's death, the case was transferred to the prosecutor's office for further procedural action.
