The recent legal ruling in France has drawn attention to wildlife conservation efforts after an 81-year-old hunter was issued a four-month suspended prison sentence and fined for killing an endangered brown bear, known as Caramelles, in the Pyrenees mountains. The incident occurred during a boar-hunting trip in 2021 when the hunter claimed he was forced to defend himself from the bear's attack.
While hunting in the Mont Valier nature reserve near Seix, the man reported being charged by the bear, which he said had attacked him after he accidentally encountered her cubs. In a moment of panic, he fired his weapon, ultimately killing the animal, which weighed around 150 kilograms. The bear has since been taxidermied and put on display at the Toulouse Natural History Museum.
The dramatic court proceedings revealed that this group of hunters was not authorized to be in the area where the shooting took place. Fifteen other hunters involved in the boar hunt also faced penalties, totaling over €60,000 in fines, which will go to environmental groups that had raised legal objections.
The defense attorney for most of the hunters argued that there was insufficient notification regarding hunting restrictions in the area. However, the prosecution highlighted the serious nature of the offense given the protected status of the bear. The presiding judge emphasized the need for stricter adherence to wildlife protection laws.
Environmental advocacy groups expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. The president of the bear-protection group, Pays de l'ours, indicated that the case should serve as a critical lesson for hunters about the importance of wildlife conservation. The brown bear population has been recovering since the low of about 70 bears in 1954, with recent estimates suggesting around 96 bears inhabit the region today.
While hunting in the Mont Valier nature reserve near Seix, the man reported being charged by the bear, which he said had attacked him after he accidentally encountered her cubs. In a moment of panic, he fired his weapon, ultimately killing the animal, which weighed around 150 kilograms. The bear has since been taxidermied and put on display at the Toulouse Natural History Museum.
The dramatic court proceedings revealed that this group of hunters was not authorized to be in the area where the shooting took place. Fifteen other hunters involved in the boar hunt also faced penalties, totaling over €60,000 in fines, which will go to environmental groups that had raised legal objections.
The defense attorney for most of the hunters argued that there was insufficient notification regarding hunting restrictions in the area. However, the prosecution highlighted the serious nature of the offense given the protected status of the bear. The presiding judge emphasized the need for stricter adherence to wildlife protection laws.
Environmental advocacy groups expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. The president of the bear-protection group, Pays de l'ours, indicated that the case should serve as a critical lesson for hunters about the importance of wildlife conservation. The brown bear population has been recovering since the low of about 70 bears in 1954, with recent estimates suggesting around 96 bears inhabit the region today.
