The death of the bear Juan Carrito reminds us that we have a problem with the road

On January 23, Juan Carrito, a young specimen of Marsican brown bear, famous for his harmless raids and well-liked by everyone, was hit and killed while crossing a road in Castel di Sangro.

It was known as Juan Carrito, Ganymede or M20, was a young man Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) about three years old, and died last January 23rd.He is said to have been killed by a car, an Opel Corsa, in Castel di Sangro, while crossing state road 17.Perhaps, however, it would be more correct to say that Juan Carrito was killed, not voluntarily, of course, but not even by chance.Killed not by a car but by a human being, like us, driving, an activity that most of us carry out every day.We have a problem with cars and roads, and this isn't just about wildlife.

Italy, according to the Legambiente report "Clean Cities – Not a country for bikes”, is the European country where there is the highest density of motor vehicles per hundred inhabitants.It is difficult not to see a parallel between the death of the bear and the massacre of cyclists that takes place every day on Italian roads.“Every day, a thousand people are killed on the streets while walking or cycling – according to the report Path (Partnership for active travel and health) – Road accidents are the leading cause of death among people between the ages of 5 and 30.”The data is unequivocal:the road represents a mortal danger for all of us, pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, bears.

Juan Carrito was a confident bear, but the problem is the road

As reported in Marsican bear report 2020, road accidents are the third leading cause of death for bears.“Wildlife (and in particular bears) cross roads depending on the volume of traffic, so roads become more easily crossable when there are few vehicles traveling on them.”The problem, however, in addition to the actual number of vehicles in transit, is caused by speed. “Speed ​​monitoring indicates that the majority of drivers do not respect the speed limits and these are often unthinkable speeds for a mountain road within a protected area, where wild and domestic animals, but also hikers can cross ”.On the SS83, between Gioia Vecchio and Pescasseroli, for example, speeds exceeding 150 kilometers per hour were recorded, with a maximum of 202.Does it still make sense, in the face of these data, to speak of a confident bear or should we rather resolve the root of our endemic inability to drive safely respecting speed limits and common sense?The question arises because many have linked the death of the plantigrade with its status as confidant bear, a definition that indicates "a bear that has lost its natural distrust of humans as a result of repeated exposure to contacts without negative consequences".

Juan Carrito certainly was a confidant.His visits to towns and his interactions with domestic animals made him famous, on the other hand he was the son of Amarena, who was also known for approaching inhabited centers in search of food.On April 1, 2021, for example, Amarena and her four puppies, including Juan Carrito, raided two chicken coops and, during their escape, crossed the highway.However, the risk of being run over, a risk to be avoided in particular for an animal whose population is extremely small such as the Marsican brown bear, does not only concern confident bears, given that, as confirmed by the Abruzzo National Park itself, Lazio and Molise, “some bears frequent areas that include roads, and cross them frequently”.Another Marsican bear died on the road and, for a species that has a fluctuating population between 50 and 60 specimens, is a tragedy, but it cannot be dismissed as a fatality.If a state is not able to protect one of its assets (yes, fauna is, as enshrined in article one of law 157 of 1992, “an unavailable asset of the State and is protected in the interest of the national and international community”), it is clear that he cannot be considered free from blame.

The duty of institutions

The institutions have the duty to take all possible measures to try to minimize the risk of similar tragedies.First of all harshly repressing bad behavior, installing speed cameras, cameras and speed dissuaders, secondly trying to address the age-old issue of the absence of adequate ecological corridors and the presence of barriers that fragment and make the territory of a wandering animal like the bear unsafe.“In much of our Apennines the roads pass through natural areas rich in biodiversity – the association wrote in a note Let's save the bear, for years engaged in the implementation of concrete projects to protect the Marsican bear and its natural environment - Living in an area where nature is predominant, considering that that same wealth is used in slogans to attract tourist flows, should oblige us to invest in its protection.Too often, however policies are missing (local, regional and national) that include concrete actions to mitigate our impact on the precious and unique biodiversity that surrounds us.Road safety interventions, for the good of wildlife and people, especially outside protected areas, cannot be delegated to associations or parks, which also invest huge resources and energy on their own initiative to improve coexistence between humans. and bear, to mitigate the impact of our activities on the survival of the plantigrade, to guarantee a future for this population.A real gear shift is needed:let it be ensured that the death of a young bear is not forgotten tomorrow and is not in vain."

Can the loss of a young specimen of such a rare, unique and charismatic species be quantified?No, and maybe it's not even right to try to do so.Yet the incredible must be remembered value of the Marsican bear, which attracts enthusiasts from all over the world to Abruzzo.This peaceful mammal gives an area, already extraordinary for its naturalistic richness, an aura that is difficult to explain in words, but which can be clearly perceived by walking along the paths of the park.The mere act of treading on the same ground trodden by the bear, and seeing traces of its presence here and there, is an intoxicating experience.Men and bears have intertwined their paths for thousands of years, we share a caveman past and the distribution of the bear has accompanied human migrations since prehistory, and we hope they can continue to do so, even in Italy.