Italy considers relocating bears from Trent region after jogger’s death | Abroad

According to local authorities, about a hundred brown bears live today in the mountainous and forested areas of the province. A reintroduction plan for the animals, launched in the late 1990s, provided for only about half that number. Although the animals rarely come into contact with humans, the death of 26-year-old Andrea Papi has sparked angry reactions from local residents and city council members.

Italy’s environment minister, Gilberto Puichetto, and provincial chief Maurizio Fugatti agreed on Tuesday to review the possibilities of a “massive resettlement plan” to relocate bears from Trento to other regions, “while maintaining an acceptable number” of bears in the province . It is not yet clear how many animals are involved and to which Italian regions they would be moved. A total of between 120 and 200 bears live in Italy.

The bear responsible for the man’s death has now been identified and will be shot. Wildlife services are now looking at whether they might also kill other bears that pose an immediate danger to residents in the area. In the meantime, police officers could be equipped with bear deterrents, it sounds.

The Italian environmental organization Legambiente recalls that it is the first time in 150 years that a bear has killed, and denounces the “management out of fear” and the “far-fetched hypotheses” to solve the problem. “Move the bears? Where? You can’t just move a wild animal that was born in a certain area,” the criticism reads.