ROME -- A female bear suspected of attacking a hiker in Dro on July 16, has been killed, the province of Trento has said. 

  The decision to cull bear KJ1, was taken by the President of the Autonomous Province of Trentino, Maurizio Fugatti.

  “A team of the Forest Corps went into action in the woods above Padaro di Arco, where the animal was located through the radio collar” the announcement from the Province read. 

   However, Gilberto Picheetto Fratin, the minister of Environment and Energy Security, has opposed the decision. “I have already told President Fugatti: the suppression of singular bears is not the solution to the problem. I understand the state of mind of the administrators and the population but today we live with the effects of a past error, due to a careless choice to exploit the image of bears in Trentino for tourism 25 years ago. Certainly a way forward is sterilisation and we are working with Ispra.” 

  "Certainly, as the Minister of Environment, I strongly reiterate that euthanisation cannot represent the first and only solution.”  

  The bear was captured using a tube trap and was then rereleased after being fitted with a radio collar and having genetic samples taken. Tests are set to be carried out in order to determine if the bear is a match for KJ1, which attacked a hiker in Naroncolo in Dro. 

  The Province of Trento, along with the Department of Civil Protection, Forestry, and Fauna were summoned by Governor Giuseppe Petronzi. The committee noted that the areas frequented by KJ1 would not be closed to the public, which environmentalists had requested. The area in question spans 110 square metres, with a network of trails and roads spanning 250 kilometre-long stretch.  

  The 43-year-old French psychiatrist, Vivien Triffaux, who was attacked by KJ1, has not clarified her stance on what fate the bear should meet. “I do not want to give my personal opinion. However, I believe we must calmly reopen the debate about the coexistence between humans and wildlife.” 

  “After all, man is at the centre of the destruction of many species. We would need to indicate the zones at risk, and as I said in an interview with Domani, spread simple and clear information on how to behave in the case of unfortunate encounters.” 

  When recounting the tale, Triffaux explained how along the trail she saw the bear running towards her “head on”. “After a few moments, she came at me. Behind her there was a cub running at full speed. I crouched down to protect myself. The bear bit my arm, scratching me all over.” 

  “The forest workers told me I had the right attitude, staying calm, showing that I wasn’t there to disturb her,” Triffaux said. 

  The incident has, however, caused concern for some animal rights activists. “Let’s say this: I wouldn’t be surprised if that bear was KJ1 and the workers who captured it know that full well; and if the radio collar permitted by TAR (the Regional Administrative Tribunal), and the announcements on the trails, served to justify a rapid killing of the mother bear at the first opportunity and subsequently her cubs, who are not yet autonomous. This was taught by the case of M90, the first radio collar used to identify and then practically shoot down the bear at the same time as the sentence was issued,” Michela Vittoria Brambilla said. 

lw