Recent human-bear conflicts in Northern Italy: a review, with considerations of future perspectives

Abstract

The killing of a runner in Northern Italy by a brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) and the subsequent investigation of such matter highlighted a Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) that has been present in Trentino since the introduction of bears for
conservation during the Life Ursus Project. Such conflict may be exacerbated as both human and bear populations get bigger. In this paper, I summarize the information we have about the WHC in Trentino, the attacks on humans and the legal procedures available. Several trends (e.g., increase of problematic bears) were already noticed and predicted in the past. The current legal instruments do not strictly define what a “dangerous bear” is, which lead to very subjective measures. Unless mitigation solutions are adopted (e.g., bear spray) or expanded (e.g., communication on the subject), WHC may disrupt the work done until now for bear conservation in the Italian Alps, due to a negative perception from the local population, which seems to be amplified by local politicians.