Lto death, last April 5, of the runner Andrea Papi, 26, originally from Val di Sole, killed by a bear (a 17-year-old female, JJ4) while running along the paths of Mount Pellier in Trentino, has turned the spotlight on Europe’s largest and most charismatic carnivore. But also on our relationship with nature. Because part of the responsibility is in the our habitat management.
The runner attacked by the bear and the “retaliation”
L’Oipa spoke of “Reprisallia with summary methods, which has bears in its sights that bears do». The reference is to yesterday’s request from President of the Autonomous Province of Trento Maurizio Fugatti for killing another bear. Mj5, an 18-year-old specimen who attacked a 39-year-old hiker in the woods of the Rabbi valley on 5 March, a few kilometers from the place where Papi was attacked a month later. Ispra, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, has already accepted the request. Moreover. Fugatti said he also wanted the death of the M62 bear which “He did not have aggressive acts but was confident with the inhabited centers”.
The bear hunt is in full swing
This while The hunt for the Jj4 bear came to life, with the installation of traps on Mount Peller to be able to capture it. It is still unclear whether the animal is still accompanied by puppies. And the Interregional Action Plan for the conservation of the brown bear in the central-eastern Alps (Pacobace) which allows the killing of bears, prohibits that of female bears with cubs.
A bear in the Brenta Dolomites area, in Trentino.
The Tar suspends the culling order
Today, the turning point: the regional administrative court of Trento has suspended theshe-bear culling order Jj4. This was reported by the Anti-Vivisection League (Lav Italia). In recent days, the association had sent both to Fugatti and to the Minister of the Environment Gilberto Pichetto Fratin the proposed transfer of Jj4 to a safe haven. As reported by the Lav, represented by the lawyer Linzola, the Tar accepted the reasons formulated by the League itself. Two years ago, the Tar cancellation the first ordinance which decreed the death of Jj4 after an attack on father and son (Fabio and Christian Misseroni) in the woods.
The mother of the runner killed: “It’s not the bear’s fault”
Even the mother of the killed runner had asked for mercy for the animal. In a letter circulated by her attorney, Franca Ghirardinithe mother of Andrea Papi, writes it clearly: «It’s not my son’s fault, nor the bear’s. The fault must be sought in the mismanagement made by those who have managed, over time, the Life Ursus project, which has now gotten out of hand».
The history of bears in Trentino
In the last 20 years, since the reintroduction of the bear in the area, there had been only 7 aggressive interactions, recalls the WWF, none of which with lethal consequences. Well, the problem exists. The project Life Ursus, which proposed to bring the endangered species back to the area, predicted about 40/60 specimens. Instead, there are about a hundred. But above all they are “crammed” into a territory which is more or less a quarter of Trentino.
Not only. If they are still in the adaptation phase, the population has not been educated to coexistence with animals, in an area that is touristic and highly anthropized.
The bear fears man
“Recourse to removal must, and it is always good to reiterate it, be in any case the last solution,” explains the association.
Warning against those who “ride” the emotional wave to underline the danger associated with the presence of bears (and large carnivores in general) in the Alpine area. «It is important to reiterate, even after this event, that normally bears fear humans and keep their distance, trying to avoid close encounters».
In nature, zero risk does not exist
THEn nature, zero risk does not exist, but it can be greatly reduced, reiterates the WWF (recalling how 10 to 20 people die from insect bites every year in Italy). For this reason, for years the association has been engaged in awareness raising activities for one better human-bear coexistence in the Alps. From signage near the paths, especially in the areas where females with young are present, to good behavioral practices.
The WWF rules for human-bear coexistence
We therefore go from the measures of Preventionprimarily by preventing access to food sources of anthropic origin «by using “anti-bear” bins throughout the range of the species, as well as effective measures to avoid damage to livestock and apiaries».
To education and awareness, informing citizens in real time which areas are most frequented by bears, which periods of the year and day are most likely to encounter them, what to do in their presence, which behaviors may be more at risk, how to move during a ‘excursion.
From bear spray to hearing aids, Safety Measures
Going through the Security Measures. That is, for example, the use of “bear spray” (pepper spray or in any case stinging/repelling) for both foresters and residents and tourists, and to recommend the use of acoustic devices such as rattles during excursions.
Bears “crammed” into too small a territory
But population expansion measures must also be considered. THEThe nucleus of brown bears in Trentino has in fact not had the opportunity to expand into other territories due to ever-increasing anthropic barriers. Precisely to “improve ecological connectivity with other areas so that it can be better distributed throughout the territory”, Carmelo Motta, WWF regional delegate, thus proposed to Luca Zaia, governor of Veneto, to welcome some specimens in his territory.
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