A mother bear accused of killing and disembowelling a jogger in woodlands has been cleared by a forensic study of the bite marks, say campaigners.
The bear – known as JJ4 – was set for termination after she was officially declared to have killed the 26-year-old runner in Trento, northern Italy, on 5th March.
But now animal rights campaigners say a vet’s forensic report on the bite marks on the victim Andrea Papi’s body proves he was attacked by a male bear.
Campaigners LEAL say the mum-of-three bear – still being held for euthanasia – should be released back into the wild in the Dolomite mountains.
Provincial president Maurizio Fugatti had ordered her capture and destruction after DNA found on the body after the 5th March killing matched her profile.
The culling was delayed twice after animal rights groups appealed to the Regional Court of Administrative Justice in Trento.
Now in a statement obtained by Newsflash from LEAL, they claim they claim they have proven the bear’s innocence in a vet’s report.
The statement reads: “In forensic veterinary medicine, an animal’s dentition holds the same value as human fingerprints, thus contradicting the lies told by Fugatti.”
It went on: “The report states ‘lesions identifiable as resulting from the penetration of a pair of canines, characterized by the typical distance between canines of an adult male bear, were found’.”
The statement goes on to add that the claw and tooth marks found on the victim’s body are more like those from a frightened bear defending its territory rather than an aggressive wild animal.
Although it is not clear which bear attacked Papi, the organisation adds the court should not try to hunt down the animals.
LEAL added: “Currently, it is unknown what frightened the bear, but the scientific evidence clears the bears from Trentino, and the type of attack definitively exonerates all bears.”
The organisation also demanded the immediate resignation of President Fugatti, who ordered the culling.
Papi’s girlfriend had also demanded that the bear be caught and killed.
LEAL further claims that the wildlife centre holding JJ4 abused her by keeping her in a confined space.
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Man ‘Disembowelled’ In Bear Attack
Investigators believed the bear disembowelled the jogger after she killed him and dragged his body into the woods.
The 17-year-old bear – one of the oldest in the region – was previously saved from culling in 2020 when she was accused of attacking two walkers.
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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