The fate of yesterday’s captured “problem bear” JJ4, who killed a 26-year-old jogger in Trentino, northern Italy two weeks ago, divides Italy. While 63 mayors of Trentino municipalities join the call of the provincial governor Maurizio Fugatti to kill the bear, celebrities have launched a campaign to save JJ4.
The female was caught Monday evening by the Trentino Forest Service using a large pipe trap and then placed in an electrically secured enclosure at the Casteller Animal Care Center in the province of Trentino, where M49, another “problem bear”, is already located. The province of Trento ordered the animal to be killed after the attack on the jogger two weeks ago.
But the administrative court in Trento overturned the shooting order after animal welfare organizations had appealed. According to the decree, the order was initially suspended until May 11th. Then there will be a court hearing to decide the fate of the bear.
Trentino governor for launch
Trentino governor Fugatti says he wants to continue to work to ensure that the court releases the bear to be shot. 63 mayors of Trentino municipalities joined his appeal to kill the bear. “Aggressive and dangerous bears should be killed,” it says in a letter.
The mayors are calling for the development of long-term solutions for bear habitat management and community involvement, and for a review of the Life Ursus project, the European strategy for brown bear reintroduction in the Alps. The local leaders also complain about problems for tourism. Several holidays have been canceled in the Trentino valley, Val di Sole, where the jogger was killed. The damage to tourism is great.
