2023-04-29 14:04:47
On April 5, a 26-year-old jogger, Andrea Papi, died killed by a bear, attacked in a mountainous and forest-covered area of Trentino-Alto Adige, in the alpine north of Italy. Almost a month later, the fate of the species is still the subject of debate and political clashes in the country while the fate of the killer bear, captured in the meantime and targeted by a decree of abatement, is now subject to a court decision.
The “JJ4” case, in reference to the code associated with the animal by the conservation services, is however part of a broader debate. For some of the citizens of the areas concerned, bears, seen increasingly close to inhabited areas, have become a nuisance. Responding to their fears, the Italian government is already talking about a project to massively move groups of bears present in the north of the country to regions where they would be likely to do less damage.
Thursday April 27, the president of the autonomous province of Trentino-Alto Adige, Maurizio Fugatti (the League, far right), supporter of the hard method, also issued a new decree of abatement concerning JJ4, confused by tests DNA performed on Mr. Papi’s body. This decision increases the tension in the public debate, while the judicial authorities are still considering the legality of a first similar act, suspended by the administrative court of the region, following the appeal of animal protection associations. Another animal, MJ5, also considered dangerous for attacking a walker in March, could suffer a similar fate.
The presence of bears in Trentino-Alto Adige is the result of a project called “Life Ursus” implemented between 1996 and 2004 which led to the establishment in this region of a population of 69 specimens recorded in 2021 Disputing this figure, Maurizio Fugatti, who campaigned condemning the proliferation of bears, estimates for his part that the bears would now be around a hundred. In a country that has around 200 bears, this figure would represent double the initial objective of the project to reintroduce bears from the Balkans, almost thirty years ago, with the financial support of the European Union.
“illegitimate solutions”
The reaction of local and national political authorities to the death of Andrea Papi has so far been limited to the formulation of a “mass displacement plan” of the bears of Trentino-Alto Adige. The number of individuals intended to be transferred has not been announced, nor have the possible regions of destination. Friday, April 28, Luca Zaia (the League), president of the Veneto region, neighboring Trentino-Alto Adige, has already declared himself hostile to a corridor project allowing the movement of bears from one region to another. other.
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