Tourist attacked?

Court stops shooting of bear in Trentino

On Friday, the administrative court of the northern Italian province of Trento suspended an order signed by the governor of Trentino, Maurizio Fugatti, to kill the problem bear named KJ1.

There is still no certainty that KJ1 is responsible for the injury of a French tourist, the administrative court said in its reasoning, thus upholding the appeal of the animal protection association Leal against the killing order.

The animal rights activists welcomed the court decision. The forestry authority is now continuing its search for the 20-year-old female bear, which is suspected of being responsible for the attack. KJ1 is currently on the move with her cubs in the areas north of Lake Garda, it said.

Genetic samples confirming that the animal was actually responsible for the attack are still pending. The order to kill the animal is always the responsibility of the governor of Trentino. A positive opinion from the provincial council is required for the application.

In April 2023, a female bear fatally injured a 26-year-old jogger in Caldes, Trentino. Trentino recently approved a draft law aimed at curbing the spread of the bear population.

The bill provides for the possibility of killing up to eight animals per year. According to the latest estimates, the number of bears in Trentino is over 100.