Overview

• The EU-funded 'Life Ursus' project reintroduced bears to Trentino, Italy, leading to a population of around 100 animals, but also increasing human-bear encounters.
• A fatal attack on a jogger in 2023 prompted the Trentino provincial government to authorize the annual culling of up to eight bears starting in 2024.
• Three bears were killed in 2024 following safety concerns, despite opposition from conservation groups and legal challenges from animal rights activists.
• Gaia, a bear involved in the fatal 2023 attack, is set to be relocated to a secure wildlife enclosure in Germany after courts blocked her euthanasia.
• The debate highlights tensions between public safety, conservation efforts, and animal welfare, as residents and tourists adapt to living alongside a growing bear population.