Italy captures runaway bear for third time

Islamabad: A runaway wild bear has been captured for the third time by forest rangers in the north Italian region of Trentino after being on the run since 27 July.

M49 to authorities, Papillon to his fans, the brown bear was caught in a so-called tube trap and was returned to captivity in a wildlife park in Castellar in recent days.

The three-year-old male bear broke out of a high-security enclosure for the second time in July and managed to remove the GPS radio collar after less than a month on the run.

Italy’s national organisation for the protection of animals (ENPA) has condemned the “ignoble persecution” of a “symbol of biodiversity, freedom and nature” which has “never been guilty of any act of aggression against humans.”

Italy’s runaway bear M49 escapes a second time
ENPA said it will raise the issue with the European Union and will also seek the intervention of Italy’s environment minister Sergio Costa, who has always defended the bear’s right to freedom.

In the meantime Papillon is back in the Castellar complex for “problematic animals” along with his peers M57, who was caught last week after attacking a carabiniere in August, and JJ4 who atttacked two hunters, a father and son, in June.

Italy: family of bears visit Abruzzo village
Papillon was incarcerated originally in summer 2019 on charges of killing livestock but managed to scale three high-voltage electric fences and a four-metre barrier before going on the run for 289 days.

The bear’s bold escape from captivity captured the hearts of animal-lovers around the world and earned him the moniker Papillon.