Society

Residents of South Tyrol for lifting the ban on hunting bears

Local farmers complain that the success of the EU program to return the brown bear population to northern Italy poses an increasing threat to their livestock, and possibly to people

Returning home late at night to his family-owned mountain hotel in the Italian region of South Tyrol, Markus and Karin Kerschbamer immediately felt that something was wrong. Instead of the expected bleating of sheep and the welcome roar of a donkey, silence met them. Opening the gate of the cattle pen, Senior Kerskbamer saw a scene from a horror movie: a dead ram with a torn belly lay in the center of the room, while a lamb that survived the same attack was barely alive nearby.

 

The Kerskbamer couple was the last victim of a predator that had not been seen in the snowy Dolomites for many decades - a brown bear. At one time, these animals were brought to the brink of extinction, and in the late 1990s, 10 animals were brought here from neighboring Slovenia as part of a European Union project to restore Italian fauna. They were released in the Trentino region, just south of South Tyrol, where they miraculously took root among alpine meadows and coniferous forests.

Bears so actively reproduced that now there are about 50 individuals, some of which migrated to South Tyrol, the German-speaking autonomous region of Italy on the border with Austria. However, local residents do not share the joy of biologists in charge of a project called Life to the Bears (Life Ursus). They claim that the bears have become too arrogant, regularly descend from mountains and forests and hunt sheep, cattle and other domestic animals. Farmers are afraid that with this tendency, bears attacking people is only a matter of time.

“I have not cried for many years, but this night I shed tears like a child’s,” shared 43-year-old Senor Kerskbamer, who lives with his family in the tiny village of Söll, at the foot of a rocky cliff covered with snow. "The sheep were like pets for our children. The bear released their insides. He also attacked a donkey and a pony, both now have deep scars on their legs."

As the bear population grows, so does the number of attacks on villages. Last year, authorities paid about 128,000 euros in compensation to farmers whose livestock were killed or injured by bears. This is a much larger amount than 7,000 euros, reimbursed for the damage caused by the wolves, who are also trying to return to these places.

Americans and Canadians are probably already used to dealing with black bears swarming in the trash containers of national parks, and even with the sometimes fatal grizzly attacks. But for most Europeans, such cohabitation is new. Walking along the Dolomites, tourists do not think about the measures of "bear safety", familiar to the inhabitants of North America. For example, hanging food on trees at night or using a walking cane with a bell.

Senora Kerskbamer is indignant: “All people are scared. We are afraid to leave the house after dark, even within the village. Three weeks ago it snowed and we saw bear tracks only a few meters from the front door.”

The mayor of the village of Tramin, Werner Dissertori, supports the woman: “The task of the authorities is to ensure the safety of citizens. If we wait until something happens, it will turn out to be too late. Enormous spaces are provided for bears in Siberia or Canada, but there are too many people here "The organizers have lost control of the project, but do not want to acknowledge this so as not to cause a panic."

However, project advocates argue that the threat is greatly exaggerated, despite the fact that an adult male can reach almost 300 kg of weight. "Bears are dangerous and capable of killing, it's true, but there has not been a single death in Western Europe over the past 100 years," said Werner Dibiasi, president of the local hunting association and an active supporter of the bear population in the Trentino forests and South Tyrol.

"A European brown bear is much less aggressive than a polar bear or grizzly bear. Compared to the number of people killed, ticks and bees are much more dangerous than bears."

The debate that arose in the Dolomites will probably soon flow to other regions of Europe, where they are trying to return large wild animals after many centuries of hunting, shooting and bullying.

Watch the video: The Thirty-nine Steps Audiobook by John Buchan. Audiobooks Youtube Free (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Society, Next Article

Vatican Museums: what to visit first
Cities of Italy

Vatican Museums: what to visit first

Every year, over five million people visit the Vatican Museums - the papal treasury, known for its amazing collection of works of art. Without exaggeration, the temples, galleries and palaces that make up the architectural ensemble of the Latin city-state and their priceless interiors are also a work of art.
Read More
Shops in Venice: where to buy souvenirs and delicacies
Cities of Italy

Shops in Venice: where to buy souvenirs and delicacies

Previously, BlogoItaliano already talked about the most remarkable shopping centers, outlets and markets of Venice and its environs for those who can not imagine their trip without shopping. In this article we continue the theme of shopping in Venice, but this time we will pay more attention to the points where it makes sense to look at souvenirs and local delicacies.
Read More
Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence: history and features
Cities of Italy

Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence: history and features

The Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence can be safely called one of the main attractions of the Tuscan capital. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that since the time of its construction, namely since 1345, the bridge has not changed its appearance. Just imagine that Michelangelo once walked along his pavement, looking for characters for his famous frescoes.
Read More