An Italian bear which killed a trail runner on Mount Peller in the Italian Dolomites in April 2023 will likely be re-homed at a wildlife park in Thuringa, Germany. The bear in question is an 18-year-old female brown bear identified as JJ4. The bear was identified by means of DNA traces left behind in the fatal injuries the 26-year-old runner sustained. The German wildlife park Worbis agreed to take the bear, which was under threat of being euthanized.
The bear was captured 10 days later in a special humane bear trap along with her three cubs. The bear cubs were released as they were weaned and were not deemed to pose any danger to humans. Since then, JJ4 has been kept at an enclosure in Trento, Italy, as she was also deemed responsible for two previous attacks on humans. Her fate caused much debate in Italy, with many demanding the bear be culled, while the victim’s parents pleaded to spare the bear’s life. Bears are protected in Italy and decisions to kill bears can only be made by a court. Bears were re-released in the Dolomites two decades ago, and it is estimated that there are now about 80 bears in the region. The courts delayed the decision whether to cull the bear several times and ultimately an animal activists petition spared the bear’s life.
The trail runner was named as Andrea Papi. Papi was a passionate trail runner who had completed several mountain trail runs and competitions. He had gone for a run on Mount Peller which reaches an altitude of 7,612ft (2,320m) on April 5, 2023, but did not return home that evening. His girlfriend Alessia Gregori alerted the authorities and Papi’s body was found by search dogs the next day.
The wildlife park in Germany is known as an “alternative animal park.” While a tourist attraction, the bears are not kept in a zoo-like environment but rather in a habitat that closely resembles their natural habitat. The animal park Worbis provides a safe environment for bears, wolves, and lynx, and is actively engaged in animal welfare and education about wildlife.
