An 81-year-old man in France has been sentenced to four months in prison, suspended, and fined for the unlawful killing of an endangered bear in the picturesque Pyrenees mountains. The incident occurred during a boar hunt in 2021 when the hunter claimed he had to defend himself against the aggressive animal.
During the court proceedings at the Foix Criminal Court, it was revealed that the hunter had been boar-hunting near the village of Seix, Ariège, when he was attacked by a female brown bear, known as Caramelles, who weighed around 150kg. The man described how the bear bit his leg, leading him to shoot her in self-defense. Caramelles has since been preserved and is displayed at the Toulouse Natural History Museum.
The court highlighted that the group of hunters was outside the designated hunting area, which may have contributed to the incident. Prosecutors emphasized that the harm caused to the bear could have been avoided had they respected the hunting regulations. In total, fifteen hunters were fined, amounting to over €60,000 in damages due to a civil suit lodged by environmental groups.
Fanny Campagne, the defense attorney representing fourteen of the hunters, argued that the lack of clear signage indicating that hunting was prohibited in the area played a role in their actions. The shooter of the bear was fined €750, stripped of his hunting license, and had his rifle confiscated.
The verdict has been welcomed by bear-preservation organization Pays de l'ours, which believes the ruling highlights accountability in hunting practices. The association's president, Sabine Matraire, expressed hope for an increased awareness of wildlife preservation among hunters following this case.
The population of brown bears in the Pyrenees has significantly improved since a dramatic decline in the mid-20th century, with now approximately 96 bears residing in the area, thanks to reintroduction efforts initiated in the 1990s.
