Italy: Popular Brown Bear Amarena Shot Dead
Search for two cubs is underway after a man allegedly shot a rare bear and told police he fired out of fear.
Endangered bear killed
Italian politicians and wildlife experts have condemned the fatal shooting of an endangered brown bear, while a search was underway for her two cubs.
Amarena was one of the most beloved brown bears in the Abruzzo National Park in central Italy and was frequently spotted in the area with her offspring.
Amarena was one of only around 60 bears in the park and one of its most productive females. The Marsican brown bear, endemic to central Italy, is considered critically endangered.
No justification for the killing
Park authorities stated there was “no reason that would justify the shooting,” even if Amarena had caused damage in the past, as “she never posed a danger to people.”
Italy’s Environment Minister, Gilberto Pichetto, and animal welfare advocates expressed anger and dismay. The public prosecutor’s office is examining a possible charge of killing animals.
A severe blow to species conservation
The fate of Amarena’s cubs remained unknown, and drones were being deployed to search for them. The cubs were not yet independent and therefore at serious risk, according to the environmental organisation WWF Italia.
“The death of Amarena, one of the few adult females, is a severe blow to the survival prospects of the bear species,” said WWF Italia. The organisation stated it would seek to bring a civil lawsuit against the shooter.
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