After deadly attack: Italy is looking for female bear JJ4

The bear that fatally injured a jogger was identified in Italy. It is said to be the sister of the “problem bear” who was shot in Bavaria in 2006. She had attacked people before.

According to Trento prosecutors, the bear that attacked and killed a jogger in northern Italy last week has been identified. As the authority announced, after a DNA comparison, it was clear that the animal was JJ4. The bear had often become conspicuous. According to the information, she is the sister of the “problem bear” Bruno, who was shot dead in Bavaria in 2006.

The bear had attacked the 26-year-old on a running tour. A few hours later he was found dead on a forest path. Scratches and bite marks suggested it might be a bear attack. An autopsy confirmed the suspicion.

The regional president of Trentino-Alto Adige, Maurizio Fugatti, had already decided on Saturday that the animal should be searched for and killed “to ensure public safety”.

Radio collar defective

According to the public prosecutor, the bear she was looking for attacked two people, a father and his son, on the Monte Peller mountain in the summer of 2020. Even then she was supposed to be killed to ensure public safety. However, an administrative court overturned the decision.

The animal was fitted with a radio collar. However, the device is currently not working and does not transmit any movement data, according to the public prosecutor.

The bear’s brother, Bruno, also known by the code JJ1, has gained notoriety in Bavaria. He killed sheep, plundered beehives and rabbit hutches. His description as a “problem bear” by the then Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber became a dictum 17 years ago.

The parents of JJ4 and JJ1 are two Slovenian bears that were brought to Italy between 2000 and 2001 as part of the EU reintroduction project “Life Ursus”.

Fundamental debate about living together

In Italy, the event started a new debate about the coexistence of humans and bears. Regional President Fugatti and Italy’s Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin met yesterday for talks. Fugatti advocated the mass transfer of bears from Trentino to other areas to halve the population in the area.

Fugatti tweeted that he was “very satisfied” with the meeting. It was about methods that could be used to identify potentially dangerous animals. The possibility of equipping security forces with repellents such as anti-aggression sprays was also considered.

According to provincial estimates, there are currently 100 bears in Trentino.