[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Mother bear 'Amarena' walks in a street with her two cubs in San Sabastiano Dei Marsi, Italy, August 26, 2023, in this still image obtained from a social media video. Gemma Di Pietro via Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreROME, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The death of a mother bear shot near a national park in central Italy, leaving two cubs to fend for themselves, has drawn condemnation from animal rights groups and politicians. It was not clear why the bear was shot, but hunting bears is against the law in Italy. The National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise is home to around 50 brown bears, a species found in central Italy. The uproar over the shooting of the bear follows an argument over an incident in April when a bear killed a 26-year-old runner in northern Italy.

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Persons: Amarena, dei Marsi, Gemma Di Pietro, Lav, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Luciano Sammarone, Angelo Bonelli, Claudia Cristoferi, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: Sabastiano Dei, Facebook, Police, Environment, La Repubblica, Green Party, Thomson Locations: Sabastiano, Italy, San, ROME, Abruzzo, Lazio, Molise