The story of JJ4, a brown bear recently captured in Italy, has attracted the interest of international media, organizations, animal activists and common people. This rage against brown bears carried out by the Governor of Trento Province has shocked national and international communities.
 

A few days ago, also the Washington Post reported the news (read the full article):
 
 
“Authorities in northern Italy captured a bear that fatally mauled a runner and became the focus of a battle in Italy. Alpine brown bear population that was once nearly extinct has rebounded thanks to the EU-funded project “Life Ursus” in 1999.
JJ4, a 17-year-old female, was captured overnight in the Brenta national park in a tube trap baited by fresh fruit, said officials in the autonomous province of Trento. She was sedated and taken to the holding center pending a final death on her fate (OIPA: her health condition are still unknown). Her 3 cubs, who are 2 years old, were with her at the time but were freed unharmed. (OIPA: for now!!)
After identifying Jj4 as the “killer” through DNA, Trento provincial authorities ordered her euthanized, but animal rights groups appealed to the administrative court, which suspended the kill order. Also runner’s family had said they didn’t want the bear to be killed.
At a news conference, Trento’s provincial president, Maurizio Fugatti, denounced as “ideological” the arguments by animal rights groups that have opposed selective euthanasia. The province would have preferred to have euthanized JJ4 on the spot and still hopes to do so, pending a final court ruling.
The project Life Ursus project has rebounded the population to more than 100 identified bears. Now, Mr. Fugatti is seeking the transfer of some 60 “excess” bears from the Trento region.
A coalition of animal rights groups, including the International Organization of Animal Protection (OIPA), demanded Trento authorities “rigorously” respect the court suspension of the kill order and vowed to defend JJ4 and her cubs “via all available legal means.”
 
 
 
🐻 JJ4 and all the other bears shouldn’t be taken as “scapegoat” and pay with their lives or their loss of freedom for the unacceptable and inadequate management of Life Ursus’s project including the lack of information on the pacific coexistence human-bear in the Province of Trento (Italy) during the years.
 
 
 
 
READ MORE ABOUT SITUATION OF BROWN BEARS IN ITALY
 
 

UPDATE

Following the recent capture of bear JJ4, the new kill order issued for bear MJ5 by the Governor of Trento Province – Italy – and his public will to get rid of about 60 brown bears (protected species), the International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA) was heard this morning at the Minister of Environment to discuss the “bear emergency in Trentino”. The most important organizations representing animal interests. also participated to the meeting.
OIPA will shortly submit its observations and analyses, drawn up based on the information and proposals of its delegates and volunteers in Trentino, in view of the bear and wildlife management strategic plan that the Ministry intends to implement quickly through its own task force.
It’s time to start a new chapter in defence of wildlife. We have tools, we just need to use them in a proper way. Among these, creation of wildlife corridors and protected areas that allow a natural dispersion of the bear population; a capillary waste management plan through anti-bear bins, efficient and up-to date information, educational programmes and awareness campaign for resident and tourists, activation of an in-depth monitoring system with radio-tracking collars.
 
While OIPA Italy was discussing with the Italian Ministry, OIPA International has called on the EU Commission for the Environment to intervene urgently evaluating the mismanagement of the LIFE-Ursus project during the years and alleged violation of the EU Habitat Directives. We hope they will take this issue with highest priority.
 
 
❤🐻 WE STAND WITH BEARS ❤🐻