The bear was captured after mauling 26-year-old Andrea Papi to death while he was out on a run earlier this month. His family say they do not want the bear to be killed.
The animal, named Jj4, was lured to a trap in a national park, officials in Trento, northernThe 17-year-old female bear killed 26-year-old Andrea Papi while he was out on a run earlier this month.After being trapped, Jj4 was sedated and taken to a holding centre, pending a final decision on her fate.The bear was captured in a national park in northern Italy. Pic: PAT Press Office Archive
Trento authorities wanted the bear euthanised but animal rights groups successfully appealed to a court to have the kill order suspended. Trento's provincial president, Maurizio Fugatti, said he still hopes Jj4 will be euthanised but campaigners say they are prepared to defend the bear"via all available legal means".Jj4 was born to two bears brought to Italy from Slovenia two decades ago as part of an EU-funded programme to repopulate the brown bear population that had been dwindling to the point of near extinction.Mr Fugatti said Mr Papi's death could have been avoided if Jj4 had been put down in 2020.