A young Italian police officer was recently attacked in a horrifying bear attack where the animal brutally mauled him while patrolling the area in South Tyrol last week. The 24-year-old officer suffered injuries and was nearly dragged away by the bear during the encounter.
Brutal bear attack
The first reports from local authorities portrayed the nightmarish incident. The police officer was walking along during his shift when he was suddenly ambushed by a sizeable 121-pound bear who proceeded to throw him down to the ground, maul him, and attempt to take him away.
According to the Pledge Times, the carabinieri's friend was with him during the stroll, and both of whom were surprised by the animal.
The victim, Diego Balasso, recounts the encounter where he and his friend heard a branch cracking in the nearby water and immediately seeing a bear's shadow. When the two first saw the bear, it was about 25 meters away, but it left them frozen in fear as the animal got up on its hind legs and sniffed Balasso.
When the police officer attempted to move away, the bear, codenamed M57, quickly attacked and bit Balasso's left leg, causing him to fall to the ground. The wild beast then continued to maul the officer, attacking wildly and indiscriminately.
Fortunately for the victim, the brother of his friend and some other passerby chased the bear away with loud noises as Balasso continued to protect himself, curling up into a ball on the ground and covering his face. He said he was lucky and thankful for those who saved his life.
The police officer suffered several injuries and lesions on his arms, legs, abdomen, head, and back. Fortunately, however, Balasso did not sustain any grave or fatal wounds, as reported by The Guardian.
Later, authorities managed to track down the animal and used a tranquilizer dart to subdue and capture the two-and-a-half-year-old bear, as stated by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento.
Dwindling population
Authorities conducted a reintroduction project of Alpine brown bears after their population declined sharply to just four known individuals present in the area in 2000. The recent attack has shed light on the dangers of the animals in the region, whose current numbers total about 90.
A representative of the International Organization for Animal Protect of Trento, Ornella Dorigatti, said that while most people are afraid of bears and claim they are aggressive, the truth is that they are very docile creatures and only attack if threatened or trying to protect their cubs.
The official said that the lack of knowledge in preventing these incidents in the area has caused another bear to be locked up in captivity for living its life in the wild. She said that authorities had removed the funding that supported the bears' reintroduction, noting that the animals should be helped and not repressed.
The expert advised people that should they encounter a bear, they should remain calm, slowly walk away, and not provoke the animal. She noted that the officer should not have yelled at the bear or let it get that close to him.
