SOFIA, March 4 (AFP) - Bulgarian brown bears have been thrown a life line by the economic crisis as hunters can no longer afford the high cost of shooting them, a newspaper reported Thursday.

"Hunters, calculate before you shoot!" 24 Hours daily newspaper joked, after a French hunter reportedly missed a huge bear in southern Bulgaria on purpose, saying he could not afford to pay 19,000 euros (25,970 dollars) for the trophy.

The hunter then asked officials in the Rakitovo hunting area in southern Bulgaria to take him to hunt "a smaller and cheaper bear," which they refused, 24 Hours reported.

Hunters pay a sum for each bear they kill calculated on the basis of size.

Another "colossal" bear in the Borovo hunting area in the Rhodope mountains was thus also likely to save its skin as it would cost hunters about 25,000 euros, Standart newspaper added.