Trento provincial council on Wednesday
expressed solidarity with Governor Maurizio Fugatti over social
media attacks received after an 'over-friendly' bear was put
down on his orders on Tuesday.
Police were also deployed at the entrance to the building where
the council was in session to ensure security in the event of
possible protests by animal rights groups angry about the
culling of the bear tagged as M90 on grounds of frequent
sighting near homes and built-up areas and reports that it had
deliberately followed people.
Fugatti, a representative of the right-wing League party, has
for several years been the target of threats in relation to his
hard line on wildlife management in the mountainous autonomous
province.
On Tuesday animal rights groups said they would do battle over
the culling, with the national animal protection agency ENPA
expressing its "horror, dismay and profound indignation" and
saying that it would "take all necessary action to hold the
governor of the Province of Trento to account for his decisions
in all appropriate Italian and European fora, including the
courts", and the anti-vivisection league LAV pointing out that
"the tight time-frame between the decree and the culling did not
allow for an appeal".
The culling order was issued on Tuesday morning and carried out
by members of the forestry corps within a few hours.
Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto also said culling cannot
be the only solution to the problem of coexistence between bears
and humans in the northern autonomous province of Trento.
"Bear culling cannot be the only alternative," said Pichetto.
"If what has been done so far with the province of Trento has
not been sufficient, the commitment - on the part of everyone -
must be to multiply efforts to find every possible solution to
guarantee peaceful coexistence in the territories," he added.
"I have once again mobilised all the structures under the
auspices of the ministry to draw up a timely strategy in which
culling should really be the extrema ratio," said the minister.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
