Bear Amarena was shot in Italy – now everyone is worried about her offspring. Highway dug through the Great Wall of China: Two people arrested

After a brown bear was shot in an Italian national park, the search for her two cubs is underway.

The animal named Amarena (black cherry) was shot by a hunter last week. Her offspring, who are only a few months old, cannot survive without their mother.

Attempts are now being made to capture the little bears in the central Italian national park of Abruzzo and the surrounding area – but without any success until Monday afternoon. Many fear that it will soon be too late.

The bear was somewhat of a celebrity in the region and beyond as she walked through villages with her offspring. Various videos of the small family’s excursions are circulating on the Internet. There have never been any incidents. However, on Thursday, Amarena was shot by a hunter who said he felt threatened on his property. The Public Prosecution Service has now launched an investigation against the 56-year-old.

Since the death of the mother, descendants have been sought. During the first few days, all attempts to lure the two cubs into traps failed. The gunman from the municipality of San Benedetto dei Marsi has since received death threats. “Giustizia” (“Justice”) was written on the wall of a house in his neighborhood. A demonstration “Justice for bear mama Amarena” was banned by the authorities. About 60 brown bears still live in the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo Lazio e Molise, where Amarena was home.

In Italy, there is always discussion about how to deal with bears that come close to people. In April in the Trentino region, a 26-year-old jogger was attacked and killed by a female bear.

(yam/sda/dpa)