A bear that attacked and killed a man in Italy on Thursday 6th April 2023 has previously attacked two other people in 2020 in the same area, according to local authorities.
Andrea Papi, a 26-year-old jogger, was the latest victim of the female bear identified as JJ4. His body was found in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northeastern Italy.
The provincial government had issued an order for the bear to be killed after it attacked a father and son in the same area in June 2020, but a court overturned the decision.
The 28-year-old son was walking on a path on Mount Peller north of Trento when he encountered the bear and fell over. His father threw himself at the animal and broke his leg.
This time, however, authorities have decided to euthanise the bear to ensure the safety of local residents.
“We are doing everything we can to locate the bear and ensure the safety of local residents.”
Maurizio Fugatti, the president of Trentino province
Prosecutors in the northern city of Trento confirmed that DNA samples taken after the attack on Papi matched JJ4.
The bear wears a GPS-equipped radio collar that should track its movements, but the last update on the official monitoring page of the Trento province website before Papi’s death said updates on the position of the bear were temporarily suspended due to the faulty signal from its radio collar.
The bear population in the Trentino-Alto Adige region is estimated to be around 100 animals in 2021.
