The Marsican brown bear has been running a serious risk for years but too little has been done to save it from extinction. The "Salviamo l'Orso" association turned the spotlight on the danger facing this species again, pointing the finger at TB affecting cattle and the lack of adequate measures
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
THEMarsican brown bear for years he has been running a serious risk but to save him from'extinction too little has been done. To turn the spotlight on the danger in which this species finds itself again was the association "Salviamo l'Orso", which pointed the finger at TBC affecting cattle and the lack of adequate measures.
According to the association it is now a phenomenon out of control, widespread for over two years in the Abruzzo Park. And the fear is that the bear at the highest risk of extinction in the world, may suddenly disappear. But not only. There are also fears that the possible spread of the disease is not monitored and that there are "very serious risks for all the wildlife in the Park as well as for people who live in the Park territory and for visitors ".
For two years, the pastures of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park have been contaminated by the bovine tuberculosis bacterium. The first outbreak dates back to 2012. Then it was calculated that between 40 and 50 specimens remained in the park. But the disease has not yet been eradicated from the territory, making a victim in the already reduced population of Marsican bears: a bear in full reproductive age, who died in March 2013 precisely due to tuberculosis.
It's also the fault ofillegality and management inefficiency. We would need a remediation plan, among other things ready, accompanied by the monitoring of wildlife with the establishment of an infected area. “Unfortunately not only has none of this been put into practice, but the situation is so out of control that today there are still some potentially infected heads of cattle that are missing, in defiance of the laws in force to protect human health ”the association complains.
For this reason the association has addressed another appeal to the institutions asking “that it comes immediately established the infected area, that in the infected area for the next season grazing is first of all forbidden as it was already requested last June by the Ministry of Health, a request ignored by the competent ASL and by the regional Veterinary Services, that the area be reclaimed and the controls intensified health and surveillance "
"We also ask that livestock operations, at least within protected areas, be carefully planned in form, timing and location to ensure their real compatibility with the conservation of biodiversityà and that, in the area of the Marsican bear in particular, it is considered an activity subordinated to the conservation needs of the species ”added the president Stefano Orlandini.
In this case, time can be an enemy, just like TB. We must act quickly to save this species, which is now ever closer to the brink of extinction.
Francesca Mancuso
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Bovine TB, a risk for the Marsican bear. The Park captures infected cattle
