Interior ministry supports introduction of anti-bear spray

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 17 - The interior ministry supports the introduction of a law allowing forestry police to carry special repellent as a deterrent against aggressive behaviour by bears, Minister for Relations with Parliament Luca Ciriani told the Lower House on Wednesday.
    Bear spray "is used in several countries in areas where bears are present to avoid the use of firearms, which seems excessive," said Ciriani.
    The spray amounts to a weapon and should only be used by specialized and specially trained personnel, the minister added.
    Bear management in Italy became a hot topic last month after a female attacked and killed a 26-year-old trail runner, Andrea Papi, on Mount Peller in the northern autonomous province of Trento.
    His death and the response by the local authorities, which ordered for the bear to be captured and put down, divided public opinion and prompted tough questions about coexistence between humans and wildlife. (ANSA).