Is Italy's killer bear innocent?

Bears versus humans - 12th June 2023

After authorities claimed that a bear killed a jogger in Italy, animal rights groups have united in support of the large mammal, declaring it innocent and the government guilty.

Andrea Papi was killed while running through the woods in Trentino-Alto Adige. The autopsy on his body concluded he was bitten and clawed to death by bear JJ4, a mother of three two-year-old cubs.

After capturing JJ4, the local government opted to euthanize her. However, activists demanded her release as forensic reports indicated Papi’s killer was male.

An animal welfare association, Leal, provided evidence from two wildlife experts that Papi’s body had the teeth marks of an adult male. Leal’s lawyer, Aurora Loprete, announced, "we have asked the court to order a specialised veterinary doctor to examine her teeth."

JJ4 made headlines in 2020 when she wounded a father and daughter in Trento. The region's provincial president, Maurizio Fugatti, sought to euthanize the bear but was blocked by the same animal rights groups.

Fugatti expressed regret for Papi’s death and vowed that, "JJ4 will be killed when the court allows it to happen." In response, Leal called for his "immediate resignation".

Until recently, the animals lived in captivity, so fatalities were unheard of. However, thanks to the EU-funded Life Ursus project, brown bears were reintroduced to northern Italy by way of Slovenia, in the 1990s.

The project was successful. JJ4’s parents were part of the original 9 Slovenian bears, but now the population's surged to 100 bears.

Fugatti plans to transfer 60 bears from Trento at some point. Activists agree with the move, they also demand the government protect areas where bears raise cubs.

Although Papi’s family opposed the bear’s execution, they sought justice. The jogger’s mother stated, "It’s too easy to say [Papi] shouldn’t have been running there…The population didn’t know about the problematic bears."