Earlier this week, a 26-year-old jogger was killed by a bear whilst running the woods near Caldes, Trento. His family intend to sue the State and the Autonomous Region.
Andrea Papi, a 26-year-old man, was killed by a bear whilst jogging. His family intend to sue the State and the Autonomous Province of Trento, daily newspaper T reported on Saturday. Papi was running in the woods near the Alpine town of Caldes.
The legal action would take into account ‘Life Ursus’, the programme to bring brown bears into the central Alps at the turn of this century. The aim of the programme is to stop the local brown bear population from becoming extinct.
It is estimated that there are now around 100 bears in the province.
What form will the action take?
The action will reportedly focus on the fact the project was implemented without a referendum of the local population. The family has already spoken to lawyers, the newspaper said.
Several animal-rights groups and supporters, meanwhile, have criticised the order by Province of Trento President Maurizio Fugatti for the bear that killed Papi to be identified and eliminated.
Environmental association Legambiente said it is the first lethal attack by a bear in 150 years in Italy. It conceded the bear in question would now be killed, but said there was no reason to stage a “witch hunt” against the animals in general.
Last year, a young brown bear kept returning to a town in search of biscuits.
