Overview

• The lead defendant claimed self-defense, stating he panicked after Caramelles, a 150-kg bear with two cubs, attacked and injured him during an illegal boar hunt in the Mont-Valier reserve.
• The court in Foix sentenced the hunter to a four-month suspended prison term, fined him €750, confiscated his hunting rifle, and revoked his hunting license temporarily.
• Fifteen other hunters involved in the illegal hunt received fines, temporary hunting permit suspensions, and shared liability for €60,000 in damages awarded to environmental associations.
• The Mont-Valier reserve is a designated ‘zone de quiétude’ where hunting is prohibited, and the court emphasized the hunters knowingly risked confrontation with protected wildlife.
• Environmental groups, including Pays de l’Ours, view the verdict as a step forward in addressing human-wildlife coexistence and advocate for continued bear population restoration efforts.