GRIZZLY TALE

Bear Caught After Killing Jogger Now Faces Execution Hearing

The animal named JJ4 was trapped by officials along with two of her cubs.

A bear that mauled a jogger to death has been captured by authorities in the Italian Alps near the site of the fatal attack, reports said. On April 5, 26-year-old Andrea Papi was fatally attacked while he was out on a run near the village of Caldes, making him the first person to be killed by a bear in Italy for years. The fate of the bear involved—a 17-year-old female known as JJ4—now hangs in the balance. An order had been given to shoot her on sight once she was identified, but the death sentence was later rescinded. “We would have liked to kill the bear on the spot,” provincial governor Maurizio Fugatti said at a news conference. A court will now decide whether or not to allow JJ4 to be put down next month. Two of her cubs were trapped alongside her, but authorities later released the 2-year-olds and gave assurances they didn’t pose a threat to the public.