The execution of a brown bear in front of her cubs caused outrage in Italy

The execution of an endangered brown bear in a national park in central Italy where she lived with her two cubs sparked outrage across the country and forced the man who shot her into police custody.

The death of the Amarena (Black Cherry) bear, as a result of a gunshot wound that pierced his lung, was especially felt by the inhabitants of the surroundings of the park, among whom the bear was very popular, as he made night walks in the forest. areas with their descendants, who are now orphans.

Both the government and animal welfare associations have expressed dismay at the incident, which they consider to be “very serious”.

The animal’s death from the shooting sparked a wave of threats and insults against the shooter, whose name was identified on social media, prompting authorities to protect his home.

The man told police he shot the bear because it was on his property on Friday evening in the village of San Benedetto dei Marsi and because he felt threatened, local media also reported.

Now the priority is to find the cubs who fled after the incident and who have little chance of surviving without their mother. For this mission, park workers, security forces and local residents were mobilized all night.

Considered the symbol of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, home to about 60 endemic brown bears, which are on the verge of extinction, Amarena was one of the most prolific animals and the mother of Juan Carrito, another beloved bear of the population. who was moved on January 24 and whose death also caused great excitement in the country.

“The killing of a bear is a serious episode that needs to be cleared up as soon as possible,” said Italian Environment Minister Gilberto Picetto, who also showed his “commitment to protecting the cubs by doing everything possible for them.” stay free.”

Both the Abruzzo region and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have announced that they will intervene as civil parties in the legal proceedings against the defendant, as “the time has come to adapt the effectiveness of the sanctions system and invest in surveillance of the territory.” in a preventive and repressive manner,” the environmental organization said.

Amarena was “completely peaceful, (…) it was part of the collective imagination and was a source of pride in the country of which the bear is a symbol,” said WWF.

“There is no reason to justify the incident because Amarela, despite causing damage to agricultural and zootechnical activities, which is always compensated by the park even outside the surrounding area, has never caused any problems in the surrounding area,” the park said. .

Amarela’s death comes months after justice intervened to save, at least for now, the life of another bear that had fatally attacked a hiker in the Alps and whom the regional authorities intended to sacrifice.

A court hearing is scheduled for December.