An elderly hunter from France has been sentenced for killing an endangered brown bear and faces collective fines with fellow hunters, prompting discussions on wildlife protection and hunting regulations.
**Suspended Sentence for French Hunter After Killing of Endangered Bear**
**Suspended Sentence for French Hunter After Killing of Endangered Bear**
An 81-year-old hunter in France receives a suspended jail sentence and a fine for shooting a protected bear amid a hunting incident.
In a significant ruling, an 81-year-old hunter was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and fined €750 for the unlawful killing of a protected bear in the Pyrenees mountains. The incident occurred during a wild boar hunt in 2021, when the bear, a female weighing around 150 kg and known as Caramelles, charged at him after he encountered her cubs. The court heard evidence that the hunter's actions were taken out of panic as the bear bit him during the encounter.
A total of 15 hunters were penalized in connection with the incident and are required to pay over €60,000 in damages to environmental organizations that initiated a civil lawsuit against them. The court noted that the hunters were operating outside a designated hunting zone by approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters), which emphasized the need for adherence to wildlife protection laws.
The defense for the accused hunters argued there were insufficient signages indicating that hunting was prohibited in the area. Nevertheless, Sabine Matraire, president of the Pays de l'ours bear preservation group, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, highlighting its importance for raising awareness among the hunting community about the consequences of their actions.
The slain bear has been preserved and is currently displayed at the Toulouse Natural History Museum as a testament to the biodiversity efforts in the region. According to regional wildlife data, the brown bear population in the Pyrenees has grown from around 70 in the mid-20th century to an estimated 96 bears today, thanks in part to reintroduction programs that started in the 1990s.
This incident has raised further concerns over hunting practices and bears' safety in the region, reflecting ongoing tensions between conservation efforts and hunting traditions in France.
A total of 15 hunters were penalized in connection with the incident and are required to pay over €60,000 in damages to environmental organizations that initiated a civil lawsuit against them. The court noted that the hunters were operating outside a designated hunting zone by approximately 1,300 feet (396 meters), which emphasized the need for adherence to wildlife protection laws.
The defense for the accused hunters argued there were insufficient signages indicating that hunting was prohibited in the area. Nevertheless, Sabine Matraire, president of the Pays de l'ours bear preservation group, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, highlighting its importance for raising awareness among the hunting community about the consequences of their actions.
The slain bear has been preserved and is currently displayed at the Toulouse Natural History Museum as a testament to the biodiversity efforts in the region. According to regional wildlife data, the brown bear population in the Pyrenees has grown from around 70 in the mid-20th century to an estimated 96 bears today, thanks in part to reintroduction programs that started in the 1990s.
This incident has raised further concerns over hunting practices and bears' safety in the region, reflecting ongoing tensions between conservation efforts and hunting traditions in France.
