Bears never become aggressive because they see humans as prey, but only when they feel threatened, for example in the case of a mother with her cubs, or if they are disturbed while hunting. This was revealed by Paolo Colangelo, of the Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council (Cnr-Iret). Furthermore, the expert tells ANSA, “in Trentino the culture of coexistence with bears has been lost: in that area, in fact, this species had disappeared and was only reintroduced 20 years ago. Since then, the animal population has increased and entered into conflict with the human one, who no longer knows how to behave in these circumstances”. In our country, continues the researcher, only the brown bear (Ursus arctos) is present, be it Alpine or Marsican, and generally occupies three large macro-areas: two in the Alps (in Trentino and on the border between Friuli, Slovenia and Austria ) and one on the Apennines (between Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise). This species is widespread in much of Asia and North America, while in Western Europe it is almost completely extinct. It weighs 100 to 700 kilograms and its largest members rival the polar bear for the title of the world’s largest land carnivore. In Italy, after disappearing due to hunting, for a long time the bear survived only in the Abruzzo National Park. “Here the population is quite small, around 50-60 specimens, and people have not lost that culture of coexistence which has instead been forgotten in other areas”, comments Colangelo. Furthermore, the Marsican bear is also considered to be less aggressive than others, such as the Alpine bear. “But bears are not all the same”, underlines the researcher: “If necessary, culling is not the only option, even relocation can be a valid solution. Of course, it is important to reduce the probability as much as possible encounter between this species and man – adds Colangelo – but when it happens, people must know what is the best behavior to adopt”.
Source: Ansa
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
