This is something that is rarely talked about….. Rewilding all well and good but, when a bison or a bear or a wolf kills someone? We have to understand that the world is a lot smaller than it used to be and true wilderness is hard to come by now (especially in Europe)
Mr Papi was running in the countryside when he was attacked and killed, sparking fear among residents. Many have called the bear to be captured and demanded changes to a European plan called “Life Ursus” which is aimed at reintroducing brown bears in the Alps
Apparently they have caught the bear in question and the order to shoot it on sight was cancelled. Its been transferred to a reserve until they decide what to do with it….
Although a person didn’t die, wasn’t there a bear in the Pyrenees some years ago that was re introduced from Slovenia or somewhere Baltic? I remember in the news that it was partial to eating sheep which got the local a bit flustered.
Hi Carl. Several bears were introduced from Slovenia 25 years ago to support the indigenous bear population. Bear numbers were around 6 or 7 in the Pyrennes and this number was considered not viable. The number is now around 75. A good result! I’m not sure what the’ carrying capacity’ of the Pyrennes is for bears. But the the more bears the more human/bear contact there will be. What is great is that the Pyrennes now have a bear population that has future.
The issues facing the Alpine bear project surely will appear here in Spain at some point as they increase in numbers.
In much of the Alps, bears had been hunted into extinction and only remained as stuffed specimens in museums. Now an European Union-funded project called Life Ursus was slowly turning back the clock. The population grew to around 100 today, beyond even the rosiest projections.
But after a series of attacks on people, the future of the bears is now in doubt. What’s going on? Is a tiny number of isolated incidents sparking an Alpine mass panic? Or is there a genuine pattern of unusually troublesome behaviour among the returning bears?
More intersing (if sad) news from Italy with a bear killed by a man who “feared for his life”
A popular female bear has been shot dead on the outskirts of a town in central Italy and a man has claimed he opened fire out of fear.
The bear, named Amarena, was filmed earlier this week roaming around the town of San Sebastiano Dei Marsi with her two cubs.
Local governor Marco Marsilio said no bear in the Abruzzo region had ever threatened residents with any danger.
However, earlier this year a jogger was killed by a bear in the Alps.
There was widespread shock in Abruzzo that Amarena had been killed. The bear was well known in the area and named after a variety of black cherry that she was particularly fond of.
The governor said on social media that the killing was incomprehensible and was a “very grave act against the whole Abruzzo region which leaves pain and anger”.
Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto spoke of a “very serious episode” and said everything possible had to be done to ensure her two cubs were protected and remained free.