The bear family used to roam the streets of the villages bordering the Abruzzo National Park. Now the mother is dead and two cubs are missing.
In Italy, a group of authorities and wildlife experts are outraged by the shooting of a rare bear.
Named Amarena Apennine brown bear had walked into the yard of a 56-year-old man on the outskirts of the village of San Benedetto dei Mars on Thursday. He shot the female bear dead with a rifle.
The man later told the police that the reason for the shooting was fear. He may have to go to court to answer for his actions.
Apennine brown bears live only in a small area in the Apennine mountains. The population size is estimated to be around 60.
Amarena was one of the main attractions of the Abruzzo National Park. A wild female was often seen in the area with her two cubs.
Now there is no information about the fate of the puppies. They are currently being searched for, as the young bears cannot yet manage on their own.
The authorities of the national park and a representative of the regional administration say that Amarena never threatened people. They condemn the shooting and find it incomprehensible.
The locals used to stop to watch the bear family on its evening walks. Amarena and her puppies often roamed the streets of the villages bordering the national park.
Earlier this week, a family of bears delighted people in San Sebastiano Dei Mars. The BBC has released the video Amarena and the puppies’ evening walk.
According to the Italian WWF, the shooting of Amarena is a huge blow to the preservation of the rare bear population. Amarena was one of the few Apennine brown bears of fertile age.
Sources: AFP, AP