The animal was “put down without anesthesia with severe and unlawful suffering before death,” the lawsuit said. M90 was shot dead by foresters in Trentino last week.
It concerns the killing of M90 according to a decree issued by Fugatti because the animal was deemed too “trusting” and therefore dangerous after “deterrent measures that proved useless”. “By opening the proceedings, we want to bring justice for M90 and those responsible. We will not get M90 back, but we must give him justice,” the party said in a press release.
Bear came within ten meters
The decision to kill the bear came after an incident in the Trentino valley “Val di Sole”. M90 had followed two friends who were walking on a forest path in the municipality of Mezzana. The bear had approached the two of them to within ten meters and only then ran away.
Analysis revealed that it was M90, an animal considered dangerous due to its history of repeated excessive familiarity with humans and its frequent presence on urban and suburban streets. For this reason, the state council decided to kill the bear. Thanks to the radio collar it was equipped with, the bear was located and shot by forest rangers. Animal rights activists protested vehemently.
Up to eight animals per year may be killed
Mezzana is just a few kilometers from Caldes, the village where the bear Jj4 fatally injured a 26-year-old jogger in April 2023. Three weeks ago, Trentino approved a draft law aimed at curbing the growth of the bear population. It provides for the possibility of killing up to eight animals per year. The latest estimate puts their number at over 100.
According to the plan, it is the responsibility of Trentino Governor Fugatti to order the culling of problematic specimens. A positive opinion from the State Council is required for the application.
In Italy, the debate about the coexistence of bears and humans has come to a head in Italy since the death of the Trentino jogger. Animal rights activists repeatedly call for people to be made aware of wild animals or to set up wildlife corridors. According to the province of Trento, the number of bears in the area has increased massively since the start of the EU project “Life Ursus” 24 years ago. Instead of 50 as planned, around 100 specimens have settled.
