The mayors of Val di Sole in Trentino, Italy, where a “problem bear” killed a 26-year-old jogger ten days ago, are threatening to resign unless a solution is found to the problem of coexistence with large carnivores.
They want to get involved together in the proceedings before the administrative court in Trento, which animal rights activists initiated with their appeal against the shooting of the “problem bear”.
Court suspended shooting
“The job of every mayor is to guarantee the safety of the citizens. But if decisions are made at the supra-communal level that prevent me from carrying out my task, what is the point of continuing to be mayor?” said the mayor of Ruffre, Donato Seppi, according to a report in the daily newspaper “Alto Adige”. .
The mayors are protesting against the suspension of the killing of the “problem bear” decided by an administrative court in Trento. The court suspended the shooting order issued last week by Trentino governor Maurizio Fugatti, thereby upholding the appeal lodged by animal welfare organizations.
Fugatti said people in Val di Sole were concerned. He reaffirmed his firm intention that a total of three predators classified as “problem bears” would be shot “if the state allows us to do so”.
Another debate about bears
26-year-old jogger Andrea Papi was attacked and killed by the bear on April 5 in the Trentino municipality of Caldes in Val di Sole. The animal is the sister of the “problem bear” Bruno, who was shot in Bavaria in 2006.
The female bear was supposed to be killed as early as 2020, because the bear known under the code JJ4 attacked two people, a father and his son, on Mount Peller.
In Italy, the debate about the coexistence of bears and humans has heated up since the jogger’s death. Trentino wants to reduce the number of bears in the area. Governor Fugatti recently spoke of a halving of the population, animal welfare organizations were up in arms.
