The family of Andrea Papi, a
26-year-old man who was killed by a bear this week while jogging
in the woods near the Alpine town of Caldes, intend to sue the
State and the Autonomous Province of Trento, daily newspaper T
reported on Saturday, quoting Papi's mother.
The legal action would regard Life Ursus, the programme to bring
brown bears into the central Alps at the turn of this century to
stop the local population from going extinct.
It is estimated that there are now around 100 bears in the
province.
The action will reportedly focus on the fact that the project
was implemented without a referendum of the local population.
The family has already spoken to lawyers, the newspaper said.
Several animal-rights groups and supporters, meanwhile, have
criticised the order by Province of Trento President Maurizio
Fugatti for the bear that killed Papi to be identified and
eliminated.
Environmental association Legambiente said that it is the first
lethal attack by a bear in 150 years in Italy and, while
conceding that the bear in question would now be killed, it said
there was not reason to stage a "witch hunt" against the animals
in general.
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