Killer bear captured in Italy

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Italian authorities claimed capturing a bear that recently killed a hiker in the northern province of Trento, local media reported on Tuesday.

The bear, also responsible for the killing of two other hikers in June 2020, was identified through genetic analysis ordered by the Trento prosecutor's office, the state-run ANSA news agency reported.

The bear, along with her three cubs, was captured with the help of a tube trap after destroying numerous camera traps, it added.

The news agency reported that her cubs were released, but the bear will be transferred to the wildlife center in the municipality of Castellar in the northern Piedmont province.

The fate of the bear – whether it will be killed or not – will be decided later, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, three major animal welfare organizations in the country, ENPA, LEIDAA, and OIPA, warned authorities to avoid actions that can harm the bear.

“We will defend the bear and her cubs in all ways permitted by law,” they said in a joint statement.