Mother bear accused of attacking hiker is killed in Italy. Animal rights activists worry for cubs

Associated Press

MILAN (AP) — Despite protests by animal rights activists, an alpine Italian province has confirmed the killing of a mother bear believed to be responsible for an attack on a French hiker earlier this month. Activists say the killing leaves her three cubs in “serious difficulty to survive.”  The International Organization for Animal Protection said the order for her killing was issued overnight, making it impossible to seek a legal stay. The alpine province of Trento enjoys a large degree of autonomy from the Italian government. It has been at the center of controversy over the culling of brown bears that it says have encroached too confidently in human territory.