Image: Roland Weihrauch (dpa)
Extreme mountaineer and author Reinhold Messner said in an interview with the Italian newspaper “La Stampa” that killing bears in the region should not be taboo. “Bears and wolves have become a problem for farmers, breeders, residents and tourists,” said the 78-year-old.
According to him, the large number of bears in the province of Trentino must be halved. Killing aggressive animals is a legitimate means of doing this.
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Messner calls for clear European legislation
But that is only a “half solution”. Messner pleaded above all for clear legislation at European level to tackle the problem. It is unacceptable to intervene only after a predator has killed. You need a clear law “from Carinthia to Italy that says who decides what to do”. The bears are located Messners According to the words, not in the wild, “our Alps are inhabited by people and accommodate thousands of tourists.” The problem must therefore be solved in the interests of public safety.
Last week a jogger was found dead on a forest path in the Trentino municipality of Caldes, in a valley (Val di Sole) popular with hikers and tourists. A female bear that had already attracted attention several times had killed the man. It is the sister of the “problem bear” Bruno, who was shot dead in Bavaria in 2006. After an attack in 2020, the bear should have been killed, a court ruled against the killing.
After the renewed incident, the regional president of Trentino-Alto Adige, Maurizio Fugatti, decided that the animal should be searched for and killed. Meanwhile, the search for the bear continues. The area is guarded by the Trentino forestry corps, and tube traps have also been set up, Fugatti said on Thursday.
According to the province, the number of bears in the area has increased massively since the EU project “Life Ursus”. Instead of the planned 50, around 100 wild animals have settled in the area.
Source: Nachrichten
