To hospital by helicopter Bear attacks and injures tourist in northern Italy

A French tourist was surprised and attacked by a bear on Tuesday during a walk in the Italian province of Trentino, which is popular with hikers and tourists.

Police in the northern Italian province of Trentino announced on Tuesday that a French tourist had been attacked by a bear. The 43-year-old man was injured in the attack and taken to a hospital in Trento.

According to the province, the Frenchman was jogging in the forest in the municipality of Dro north of Lake Garda in the early morning. It was there that the attack occurred. The man called for help and suffered injuries to his arms and legs. Rescue workers came to his aid and took him to hospital by helicopter. His life is not in danger. Rangers are carrying out investigations and surveys to identify the bear.

There are frequent encounters with bears in Trentino. Last year, a female bear attacked and killed a jogger in the area. Since then, the debate about the coexistence of bears and humans in the province has come to a head. In response, a draft law was recently approved to curb the spread of the bear population. It provides for the possibility of killing up to eight animals per year.

The bear population in Trentino has recently continued to expand. According to a recent provincial report, there are currently thought to be around 100 adult brown bears.