An 81-year-old French hunter has avoided prison time after killing an endangered female bear that attacked him in the Pyrenees in 2021, an event that drew significant criticism from environmental advocates.
The hunter claimed he had no choice but to shoot when a brown bear charged at him while he was hunting wild boars in the mountains between France and Spain. Instead of serving time, he received a four-month suspended sentence.
In addition, 15 other hunters involved in the incident were fined amounts totaling several hundred euros, and the hunting licenses of two of them were temporarily revoked.
All 16 hunters must collectively pay over 60,000 euros (£50,900) to the environmental group that brought the civil suit.
During the trial in March at Foix, southern France, prosecutors asserted that the group should not have been in Montweir’s nature reserve to begin with.
The defense attorney, Charles Razier, contended that the hunters should be acquitted, stating that the bear was killed out of necessity.
On November 20, 2021, two bear cubs unexpectedly appeared before the hunter, followed closely by their mother, who charged at him, dragging him a few meters. In the ensuing panic, he shot the bear.
The research identified the bear, known as Caramel, was killed 400 meters (about 1,300 feet) outside of a designated hunting area.
“I admired the cubs when they showed up,” the hunter recounted at the trial. “I crouched down. Then their mother appeared, and we locked eyes.” He said he felt compelled to shoot when the bear attacked.
He elaborated, “She bit my left thigh. I panicked and fired a shot. She groaned, circled me, and bit my right calf. I fell and then shot again.”
Razier argued that the hunter had no alternatives, reinforcing the claim that he acted out of necessity.
Conversely, Alice Terrasse, representing several environmental groups, held all 16 hunters accountable, urging that they should bear the costs associated with the death of Caramel.
She estimated that reintroducing a new bear would cost around 100,000 euros ($113,000).
Animal rights activists assert that these bears play a crucial role in maintaining fragile mountain ecosystems facing challenges from climate change.
Bears had almost vanished from these mountains before France initiated its reintroduction program in the 1990s, importing them from Slovenia.
The French Office of Biodiversity estimates the current bear population in the Pyrenees to be between 97 and 127.
This situation has heightened tensions with farmers, who are concerned about the danger to their livestock posed by predators.
Alan Raines from the Bear Preservation Society noted that the incident presents an opportunity to further discussions on how hunting can coexist with bear populations.
