Italy's National Animal Protection Agency (ENPA) on Friday called on the environment minister to safeguard the lives of two orphaned bear cubs in the northern Trentino region.
Many Italians were outraged last fall - and a complaint was filed at the European Commission - over the death of the cubs' mother, a rare brown bear known as Daniza.
She was killed by a tranquilizer containing an overdose of anaesthetic administered during an operation to capture her in Trentino after she cuffed a mushroom picker who allegedly become between her and her cubs.
Trentino forestry officials on Thursday confirmed that Daniza's offspring - now aged 16 months and weighing an estimated 40 kg to 60 kg - have survived the winter in spite of being orphaned at an early age.
"We call on Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti to monitor their lives - and that of the other new litters - with extraordinary attention," ENPA said in a statement.
"No one must endanger their existence with irresponsible or criminal behaviors".
Experts stress the importance of not approaching the young bears or offering them food as they must learn to survive on their own and to fear humans.
ENPA has complained that although wild animals - including the endangered brown bear - are protected by law, they continue "to be killed with impunity".
Ten brown bears were reintroduced in Trentino near Italy's borders with Switzerland and Austria through a program called Life Ursus some 20 years ago.
Officials announced in 2013 that after decades of decline the bear population had begun to recover with 40 animals counted, the number of females slightly outnumbering males.
It is hoped that as many as seven new litters of bears containing 12 cubs now being monitored in Trentino will survive.
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