Italy is considering relocating bears living in the north of the country to other countries. The Italian Minister for the Environment Gilberto Pichetto Fratin says he wants to discuss this with neighboring countries.
The debate over the bear population in the Autonomous Region of Trentino-South Tyrol has come to a head after a 26-year-old jogger died after being attacked by a bear in early April. It took place in an area near the village of Caldes that is popular among hikers. A committee has been set up to consider measures to control the expansion of the bear population in the area. “We want to use all diplomatic means to find other areas to move the bears,” Fratin said.
According to the authorities, the population needs to be reduced by about half to manage the situation. It is estimated that about a hundred brown bears currently live in Trentino. Bears from Slovenia were released in 1999 as part of an EU program to reintroduce the animals to the Italian Alps.
The bear that killed the jogger is currently being held at a wildlife sanctuary. She is 17 years old, weighs 150 kilos and is called JJ4. In 2020 she also attacked two walkers, but they survived the attack. The president of the province of Trent initially wanted to have the animal killed, but after a complaint from animal activists, a judge prevented that. The bear’s fate will be decided at a hearing on May 11.
26-year-old runner Andrea Papi from Trentino is the first known fatal victim of an attack by a bear in Italy. He had deep wounds on the neck, arms and chest. Opponents of the cull stress that bears normally keep their distance from humans. The local government should ensure that people stay out of areas where female bears raise their cubs, said an animal activist.
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