The Bulgarian NGO "For the Nature" has launched an initiative demanding that President Georgi Parvanov apologize for shooting protected animal during his visit to Uzbekistan in early November.

The news that the Bulgarian President had shot a wild mountain goat, the "arhar" - a protected animal registered in the "Red Book" of endangered species were announced by the Russian Internet news site Fergana.Ru.

"For the Nature", which is a coalition of Bulgarian environmentalist NGOs, has collected over 660 signatures in support of their request that Parvanov return his hunting trophy, and apologize formally for what he did.

The petition made will be send to the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, to Bulgaria's Foregn Minister Ivaylo Kalfin and to the Uzbek head of state Islam Karimov.

The opposition party of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria backed the initiative of the environmental protectors and demanded that President Parvanov reveal how much his passion for hunting cost the Bulgarian taxpayers.

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