Romanian billionaire and former tennis player Ion Tiriac is organizing his annual wild boar hunting trip these days, with top business and political leaders in Europe among his guests.

The hunting trip started on Thursday, December 15, on the 1000-hectare domain at Balc, Bihor county, in Western Romania. Tiriac's wild boar hunting has become a tradition, being organized annually in the last 11 years.

Some of the guests already arrived in Romania on Wednesday evening, reports local Agerpres. Among them, Italian fashion designer Stefano Ricci and Prince Dimitrie Sturdza. Moreover, Wolfgang Porsche – the manager and a member of the Porsche family dynasty and Klaus Mangold – the former president of DaimlerChrysler Services AG, are also expected to attend the hunting trip in Romania.

Meanwhile, dozens of villagers from Balc commune are to receive daily payments to help with the hunting. According to Agerpres, they are to be paid RON 50 (some EUR 11) per day, and get some wild boar meat at the end.

Besides hunting, the guests will also enjoy the evening parties especially organized during this event.

In previous years, members of several NGOs organized protests against this hunting trip near the entry on Tiriac’s domain in Balc.

The boar hunting tradition in Balc started in 2005. Former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase was the guest of honor at that event. He was also the event's champion, with 23 trophies.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com