April 2012.- The accident which befell the King this April, whilst he was participating in an elephant hunt in Botswana, has caused great concern to most Spanish citizens.

Juan Carlos l has never much bothered to conceal his preferred hobbies, hunting and bullfighting. Both are controversial and rejected by many Spanish citizens. The man who proclaimed himself at his coronation to "be the King of all the Spanish" is not living up to his own words.

A few years ago he attracted negative attention when he went bear hunting in Eastern Europe. These reactions were particularly strong as many people feel very emotionally about the issue since the circumstances surrounding the killing were particularly emotive. Now Juan Carlos has shot an elephant, a protected species under Appendix I of CITES. While, admittedly, there was nothing illegal about this hunt, the elephant is, for most people, an iconic creature deserving from us the highest level of protection, sympathy and solidarity

The concern for conservation is growing, simply because we are now recognizing that the planet simply cannot withstand more abuse and must confront the problems of climate change and the disappearance of many species.

Worth special mention is that dating back to before his reign began, the King has been Honorary President of WWF-Adena. Now, we should ask their members if maintaining this presidency is consistent with the King’s hobbies and the example he sets.