A bear named Amarena was shot dead by a frightened resident in the village of San Sebastiano Dei Marsia, east of Rome, Italy.
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The animal was filmed walking with its two cubs in the area last week, the BBC reports.
The Abruzzo National Park posted a graphic image of the dead animal on its Facebook page, sparking incomprehension among residents as the bear was well known in the area.
The man who fired the gun was questioned by local authorities.
“I was afraid and shot, but I didn’t want to kill,” he said. I found it on my property and it was an impulsive, instinctive act.”
The head of the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research “ISPRA”, Piero Genovesi, shares his sadness over this incident in an interview with the BBC.
“Amarena was a symbol of the park,” he says. Everyone loved him. She was often seen by passers-by and was never aggressive towards them.”
Their cubs have not yet been found by local authorities while a dozen forest rangers are searching for them.