Marsican brown bear, Amarena was shot dead in Italy

On Friday, it was confirmed that Marsican brown bear, Amarena was shot dead. The female bear was shot in San Benedetto dei Marsi, outside the national park of Abruzzo. The shooter was identified as 56 year-old man. He shot the innocent bear when he saw her enter his property. The man told the police that he shot Amarena “out of fear, but I didn’t want to kill it, I found it inside my property. It was an impulsive, instinctive act.”

The case is being investigated and the man is charged under the 544bis penal code. This code is for killing an animal without a warrant. Amarena was innocent and possessed no harm to anyone. If the man in custody is convicted, he could face four months to two years in prison.

Marsican brown bear, Amarena

The well-known female brown bear Amarena has given birth to a few cubs including one that made headlines in 2021. Juan Carrito, a three year old cub, broke into a bakery and devoured hundreds of biscuits. He was relocated twice by park rangers but came back to the town for delicious biscuits and leftover pizzas. Sadly, Juan Carrito died this year in January, after being struck by a car. Now, Amarena’s two cubs are left alone and motherless.

Amarena gained a lot of fame in 2020, when she gave birth to four cubs. Marsican brown bears are at a dangerous extinct rate in Italy, with a population of mere 60 bears. 

Gilberto Pichetto, Italy’s environment minister, was distraught to hear that Amarena was shot dead. His main goal is to make sure that her cubs are found and safe. Piero Genovesi, head of Italy’s wildlife service Ispra, said that everyone loved Amarena and she was “a symbol of the park.” He also said that the two bear cubs have not been found. It is essential that they are found and returned to nature since they are only seven months old. If not found soon, they can easily develop a dependency on human food, which could cause an issue for the town and the young bears.