Headline: Endangered Brown Bear Shot and Killed in Italy, Leaving Two Cubs Motherless
Authorities in Italy are facing backlash after an endangered brown bear was shot and killed near an Italian national park, leaving her two cubs orphaned. The killing has sparked outrage among Italy’s environment minister and animal rights advocates.
The bear, nicknamed Amarena or Black Cherry, was known to be one of the most prolific brown bears in the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park. Local residents, including families with young children, often stopped to observe the bear and her cubs during their nocturnal excursions through the nearby streets.
According to reports, the man who shot the bear claimed that the animal was on his property and posed a threat. However, prosecutors are now investigating possible animal murder charges, and police have confiscated the rifle used in the shooting. The Marsican brown bear is considered critically endangered, and the park estimates that around 60 bears live in or around the area.
Italy’s Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto, expressed his commitment to shedding light on the incident and protecting the bear cubs. Drones are being utilized in the search for the cubs, as they are currently not self-sufficient and at high risk.
Luciano Di Tizio, the director of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Italy, condemned the killing as a “very serious and unjustifiable crime against nature” and criticized the ongoing campaign against wildlife. He emphasized the significance of Amarena in the collective imagination and called her a source of pride for the region.
The issue of bears versus humans has become politically charged in Italy, with previous cases landing in court. Earlier this year, a court ruling spared the life of a brown bear that fatally attacked a runner in the Alpine region.
In a separate case, local authorities had ordered the euthanasia of a 17-year-old bear known as Jj4, but animal rights groups have challenged the decision in court. The Marsican brown bear euthanized on Thursday is a genetically distinct subspecies of alpine bears.
It has also been revealed that Amarena was the mother of another bear in the park that met a tragic end after being hit by a car. The bear gained national fame when it broke into a bakery and indulged in cookies.
The killing of an endangered brown bear in Italy highlights the ongoing challenge of coexistence between humans and wildlife. It serves as a reminder of the need for stronger protections for endangered species and emphasizes the importance of responsible conservation efforts.