TRENT. ”Today the Casteller structure is clearly illegitimate, does not respond to minimum standards and holds bears which I am unavailable assets of the State and not of the President of the Province of Trento. Bears that behaved simply in compliance with ethologistsspecific to the species, accused of being bears. In light of what has been said I sent a request for urgent intervention to the Cites Commander and I hope that immediate action will be taken to restore legality”. Talking is Paolo Berninicandidate for parliament European in the North Eastern constituency (with Trentino Alto Adige, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia) for the 5 Star Movement. Former MP for the party of Beppe Grillo from 2013 to 2018 Bernini has always been very attentive to ‘battles‘ linked to the protection of animals and the defense of the environment (at the same 2013 elections he proposed himself as environmentalist, animal rights activist, vegan and crazy) and this time he enters ‘with a straight leg’ into the bear issue in Trentino.
In particular on detention of Jj4 and M49 now locked inside the Casteller for years without great transfer prospects (these days in the local press the transfer to a facility in Germany has been given as a fact but to date it is only one of the hypotheses in the field and there is very little concrete). In the past few days the Dolomites gave news of the fact that Lav has come into possession of the bmedical supplies for the bears locked up at the Casteller and that it would be specified in the same that “the conditions of mistreatment”.
”As you will remember – wrote Lav – each bear is confined within an enclosure of dimensions smaller than 0.3 hectaresone surfacethat is, which appears more suitable for setting up a dog walking area than for keeping plantigrades for lifeas I was able to see during my access to the Casteller area which took place under police and forestry corps escort in June 2023 – he commented Massimo Vitturihead of Lav Wild Animals – we have therefore entrusted the evaluation of the contents of the bulletins to veterinary doctor our consultant who assists us in the administrative proceedings that we have initiated against the Province of Trento to finally obtain the transfer of Jj4 to the shelter that we have identified in Romania, also demonstrating the continuing inadequacy of the Casteller“.
The Lav consultant therefore reached very clear conclusions: “The Jj4’s behavior presents stereotypies which prove one state of distress or chronic stress originating from the imposition of unbearable behaviors due to the ethological characteristics of the bear and causing serious suffering. In the case of the bear M49 the structural situation identical to that of Jj4 equally produces aor negative state for the animaland whose responses have not, however, been observed in ways useful for expressing a correct judgement. The conditions at Casteller are therefore punitive and penalizing for the bears confined in the structure.”
”It is necessary guarantee the freedom of the bears illegitimately locked up at the Casteller and I requested the urgent intervention of Cites”explains the 5 star Bernini. ”After examining numerous documents – he continues – It is evident how, for example, the bear reintroduction project in Trentino was planned without any assessment of possible conflicts with anthropic activities of various kinds, both tourist-recreational and productive the Province was more interested in funds and media visibility than in the protection of plantigrades’‘.
”Today – concludes Benini – the Casteller structure is clearly illegitimate, does not meet the minimum standards and holds bears which are unavailable assets of the State and not of the President of the Province of Trento. Bears who simply behaved in compliance with the ethology of the species, accused of being bears. In light of what has been said, I sent a request for urgent intervention to the Cites Commander and I hope that immediate action will be taken to restore legality, restore the freedom due to bears and I hope that anyone responsible for illegal actions will be held accountable in the appropriate places”.
