The Czech Republic’s environment ministry has come under fire for ordering 1,000 pairs of male and female underwear adorned with images of endangered animals as part of an end-of-year budget splurge. The environment ministry will use the beaver and cormorant pants as promotional materials for its Czech Nature campaign, which aims to encourage people to take an active role in environmental protection. With allegations of frivolous government spending on pants filling the press, the underwear spat even overshadowed controversy surrounding the environment ministry’s purchase of 130 new cars for its ministerial fleet.