A French tourist, aged 43, was hospitalized after a bear attack in northern Italy, according to local authorities. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Naroncolo, Dro, just north of Lake Garda. The tourist was out running when the attack happened, but his injuries are not life-threatening. Medics airlifted him to Santa Chiara hospital in Trento with limb injuries.
Forestry officials have launched an investigation. The Trentino region, home to about 100 bears, has seen bear-related incidents before. In April 2023, a jogger was fatally attacked, sparking a debate on the reintroduction of bears between 1996 and 2004, initially intended to introduce 50 bears, though the population has since increased.
The female bear responsible for the fatal April attack, identified as JJ4, was taken to an enclosure away from her cubs. After pressure from animal rights groups, authorities decided in May to transfer JJ4 to a refuge near Germany’s Black Forest later this year.
