Bear that killed Italian jogger, 26, wins stay of execution

Bear that killed Italian jogger, 26, wins stay of execution as animal rights group succeeds in overturning order for it to be ‘tracked and destroyed’

• Officials had ordered for the bear Jj4 – or Gaia – to be ‘tracked and destroyed’ 
• DNA samples found the 17-year-old bear had mauled Andrea Papi, 26, to death
• An animal rights group launched a successful legal appeal at the 11th hour

An order for a killer bear to be ‘tracked and destroyed’ has been overturned after a successful legal appeal by an animal rights group.

Officials had issued the decree for the brown bear identified as Jj4 but also known as Gaia after she mauled trail runner Andrea Papi, 26, to death last week.

DNA samples found at the scene on a stick Andrea had used to defend himself and, on his clothes, and body had positively identified the 17-year-old female bear as the culprit.

It later emerged that the bear had also been involved in another attack in 2020 that left a dad and his son badly injured after they were forced to flee for their lives.

The incidents all took place on Mt Peller close to Caldes in the northern Italian region of Trentino where around 100 bears are believed to be living after being reintroduced there in 2000.

An order for a killer bear identified as Jj4 to be ‘tracked and destroyed’ has been overturned after a successful legal appeal by an animal rights group 

DNA samples found the 17-year-old bear had mauled runner Andrea Papi to death on Mt Peller close to Caldes last week 

Regional president Maurizio Fugatti had issued the order for the bear to be killed last week following the fatal attack – the first of its kind in Italy – on Andrea.

But the Italian Anti Vivisection League, (LAV) an animal rights campaign group, protested to a regional court through it’s lawyer Claudio Linzola and he won a suspension of a month.

READ MORE: Bear that killed an Italian jogger, 26, had previously mauled two hikers and is still on the loose after catch and kill order was overturned by a court

Posting a picture of a baby bear cub on its mother, LAV wrote on their Twitter feed: ‘The order has been suspended by the regional tribunal which accepted our requests.

‘The arrogance of the regional president Maurizio Fugatti has been beaten. Bears and the citizens of Trentino have the right to live in peace.’

In a statement LAV said: ‘It’s evidently clear the desire of Mr Fugatti, he has no intention of working with us for a peaceful solution between bears and humans.

‘What he wants is a vendetta towards bears, all he wants to do is kill them or move them out of the area.

‘There is an alternative possibility for these animals, even for the one that he has ordered to be killed. These bears can all be saved.

‘All the local authorities need to do is run a proper informative campaign for the local population and for holidaymakers so they know what to do if and when they see a bear.

‘Do not kill these bears, give them to the LAV.’

Mountain rescue teams using tracker dogs found Andrea’s dismembered body the morning after the attack and he was declared dead at the scene

Regional president Maurizio Fugatti had issued the order for the bear to be killed last week following the fatal attack – the first of its kind in Italy – on Andrea. But an animal rights group has won an appeal to give it a stay of execution

Mr Fugatti said: ‘In 2020 we authorised the killing of Jj4 after she attacked two people on Mt Peller.

‘We have highlighted numerous times to various authorities that Jj4 is a dangerous bear but we have always been defeated and told that she is not dangerous and she should be free.

‘But we cannot have dangerous animals circulating freely in our forests and countryside.’

Mr Fugatti said he would be calling for an urgent meeting between regional authorities and animal rights groups to ‘urgently discuss’ the situation.

In a statement issued by her lawyer Andrea’s mother Franca, said: ‘It’s not my son’s fault and not even the bear’s – shooting the bear won’t give me back Andrea.’

‘The management of this project, over time, has become increasingly incautious and inadequate and has not taken into account and evaluated the growth in the number of bears and the population.

‘We as a family, demand that somebody be held responsible for the lack of protection and prevention, they can’t get away with it.’

Judge Fulvio Rocco said he had suspended the order pending further evidence from both parties and adjourned the case until May 11.

 Judge Fulvio Rocco said he had suspended the order pending further evidence from both parties and adjourned the case until May 11. Pictured: Andrea Papi

The original 2020 was overturned after it emerged that Jj4 – also known as Gaia – had given birth to bear cubs.

Jj4 was born after two bears from Slovenia were brought to Italy through a project called Life Ursula, which aims at increasing the dwindling bear population.

Following the 2020 attack the Jj4 was fitted with an electric collar but the battery has since run out and officials have been unable to replace it.

A message on the website of the local council which oversaw the tracking said that ‘due to a technical fault the current whereabouts of Jj4 were unknown’.

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