Since the deadly attack of a female bear on a jogger, there has been a discussion in Italy about how to deal with the animal. For the regional government it is clear that it must be shot. However, a court decision is still pending.
The “problem bear” JJ4 is to be killed according to the will of the Trentino provincial government. The regional president, Maurizio Fugatti, again issued a decree ordering a shooting order for the animal that has now been captured. However, killing is ruled out until May 11th. On that day, a hearing on the fate of the animal will take place before the administrative court.
Sister of the “problem bear” Bruno
Fugatti had already ordered the killing by decree at the beginning of April. However, the order was suspended after complaints and lawsuits from animal rights groups. If a decision is made by May 11, the killing of JJ4 “should be carried out as soon as possible,” the latest decree says. As a precautionary measure for public safety, it was “reasonable to kill the animal rather than accepting even the slightest risk of it coming into contact with humans again,” the statement said.
JJ4 attacked and killed a 26-year-old jogger in northern Italy in early April. She was caught in the middle of the month and has been in a locked game enclosure ever since. The hearing before the court in Trento is now eagerly awaited. The bear, also known as Gaia, is the sister of the “problem bear” Bruno, who was killed in Bavaria in 2006.