Bear M49, otherwise known as Papillon, has come out of hibernation and is currently roaming the countryside in Trentino, Italy, home to famous ski resort Madonna di Campiglio. The bear's footprints were spotted in the town of Molina and he has already had a few run-ins with livestock.
It's usually illegal to kill bears in Italy, but Papillon was wanted dead or alive last summer after he escaped from his enclosure the first time. Despite animal rights activists calling for him to be spared, authorities argued he has lost all fear of humans and poses a threat to animals, humans, and even other bears, who may suffer from the negative publicity. Papillon is three years old and weighs approximately 140 kilograms.
By
Robert F. Tobler
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Own work,
CC BY-SA 4.0,
Link
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
