A brown bear that stole biscuits from a bakery and drank from the water fountain in a small Italian mountain town has been tranquillised and flown by helicopter to a remote location.
Known fondly as Juan Carrito by locals in Roccaraso, in the Apennine mountains, the two-year-old bear was roused on the completion of his helicopter trip and trotted off into the snow where officials hope he will start a new life far from humans.
In recent weeks, the bear had built a cult following on social media as he was filmed strolling along the main street of Roccaraso and appearing to pose for photos standing on his hind legs. As he grew bolder he broke into a local bakery and gorged on a batch of freshly cooked biscuits. That prompted fears that he might harm someone in his search for food, particularly given the pending start of the ski season.
Using bait, a team located the bear, tranquillised him and loaded him on to a police helicopter. “The aim behind releasing him in an isolated mountain area is to encourage him to change his ways — his habit of being so relaxed around humans and their food,” the local national park service explained.
The youngest of four siblings, the animal is a rare example of a Marsican bear, of which only about 50 live in the Apennines in central Italy.
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His treatment contrasts with the recent controversial locking up of rogue bears in Trento in the Alps.
“In other parts of Italy or other countries, a bear like Juan Carrito would probably have been placed in captivity,” the park service said. “We feel obliged to do all we can to give him his freedom.”
