Italian animal welfare organizations against the shooting of bears in South Tyrol

Italian animal protection organizations are protesting plans for the autonomous province of Trento to track down a problem bear, which reportedly attacked and killed a 26-year-old jogger on Wednesday. Animal protection organizations have asked the Environment Ministry to discuss measures to improve management of the bear population in the area together with the province of Trento. It is important to avoid a “witch hunt” against bears.

The environmental association Legambiente confirmed that this was the first case of a fatal bear attack in Italy in the past 150 years. According to the Italian Association for the Protection of Animals and the Environment (AIDA), it is necessary to “get to the bottom of the investigation and reconstruct exactly what happened”. The runner is said to have defended himself against the bear with a stick, which may have triggered the animal’s reaction.

Meanwhile, voices against killing the bear are growing on social media. Green chief Angelo Bonelli wrote on Twitter: “We’ve burned and strengthened forests, taking more and more space for wildlife. Killing animals is not a solution to ensuring people’s safety. Imagine a forest or wooded area with no animals.” .

The little runner was found early Thursday morning near a forest road in the municipality of Caldes in the Val di Sole valley, popular with hikers and tourists. He had not returned from jogging in the woods on Wednesday, prompting his family to sound the alarm. The man’s body showed serious injuries.

Deep scratches on the body and face, bite wounds, and a serious injury to the stomach indicated that the bear had been attacked. It was said that the corresponding DNA residues were discovered on the body of the young man. The regional president of Trentino-Alto Adige, Maurizio Fogati, said the bear must now be identified and then killed.

“This bear must be removed to ensure public safety,” Fugatti said. According to him, all animals “causing trouble” should be killed. About 100 bears live in the wild in the mountainous and forested area. According to Fogati, this is no longer acceptable.

The “Life Ursus” resettlement project started in 1999 with the support of the European Union. Ten bears were transported from Slovenia to the Trentino region. Brown bears have multiplied in Trentino and killed many animals in recent months. The autonomous province of Trento demanded more freedom in the capture and killing of dangerous specimens.