The search for the dead bear’s two cubs continues in Abruzzo. Six-month-old animals are not yet able to survive independently in the wild.
Italian authorities have opened an investigation into a 56-year-old Italian man who shot his rifle at a brown bear with her cubs in Abruzzo National Park on Friday night. After several death threats against him, the man was placed under police protection. The businessman justified himself by saying that the bear invaded his property and that he resorted to using a gun in panic.
“I made a mistake. After meeting the bear, I immediately called the carabinieri,” the man explained, according to media reports. The Carabinieri are now parked outside the man’s house after several death threats were posted against him in the social media.
Young animals need help
Foresters and rangers are now searching for the two cubs of the grizzly bear, which has been named “Amarena” (black cherry). The park administration feared that the animals, which are about six months old, would not be able to feed themselves and could become prey for wild animals because they are not yet able to defend themselves.
Traces of the boys have already been seen. However, the bears have not yet been captured. “Our priority is to find them as quickly as possible. These are six-month-old animals. They are not independent in obtaining food and can become prey for packs of stray dogs”, explained the commander of the Carabinieri of Avezzano, Luigi Strianese.
Baited traps
It was said that the search was not easy because most of the boys went out in the evening or at night. Traps were set with bait and food to attract them in an attempt to capture them. Stun cartridges cannot yet be used on young animals.
“Amarena” was the so-called Martian brown bear. This is a subspecies of which only around 50 animals remain, compared to around 100 in 1980. The species lives in the central Apennines of Italy.