The shooting of a bear near a national park in central Italy, leaving its cubs alone, has sparked condemnation from animal rights groups and politicians in the country. The Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park announced today that the bear was killed late last night on the outskirts of the town of San Benedetto dei Marsi, and a widely circulated image of the incident was also shared on social media.
The police have identified a suspect in the shooting. The bear was known as "Amarina," meaning "black cherry," named after the fruit it used to eat. The park is home to around 50 brown bears, a species native to central Italy.
The reason for the shooting is still unclear, but hunting bears is prohibited by law in Italy. The animal rights group LAV described "Amarina" today as a "victim of the climate of hatred" towards wildlife that they claim politicians are fueling.
Luciano Samaroni, the park's director, told the newspaper "La Repubblica" that the bear crossed a special fence but had no history of attacking humans. He added, "I find it hard to believe that it was killed in self-defense," emphasizing he would wait for the investigation results.
The leader of the Green Party, Angelo Bonelli, stated that park rangers are searching for the bear's cubs and expressed concerns about their survival.
