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Italian politicians and wildlife experts condemned on Friday the shooting dead of a rare brown bear, as a search was underway for her two cubs.

Amarena was one of the most popular of the Marsican brown bears in the Abruzzo National Park in central Italy, often pictured in and around the area with her offspring.

Park authorities condemned the "very serious incident" and confirmed that a local man was immediately identified as the shooter.

The 56-year-old claimed that he fired out of fear when Amarena entered his property on the outskirts of the town of San Benedetto dei Marsi, outside the park's area.

Amarena was one of only about 60 such bears in the park. The park authorities stressed that there was "no reason to justify" the shooting even if Amarena had previously caused damage including to agriculture nearby, as "she never created any problems for humans."

Marco Marsilio, the president of the Abruzzo region, repeated that the bear was no danger and condemned the "incomprehensible" shooting.

The Marsican bear is a subspecies of brown bear that only lives in the central Apennine mountains.

The death of Amarena -- one of a limited number of adult females -- "represents a serious blow to the bear's hopes of survival," environmental campaign group WWF Italia expressed.

In a statement, the group announced that it would seek to bring a civil action against the shooter, who could also face judicial proceedings.

Italian Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto and animal rights activists expressed outrage and dismay over the killing. Pichetto underlined that the cubs' safety was a top priority, affirming that his department was "doing everything possible so that they can remain free."

The LaPresse news agency noted that drones were employed to look for Amarena's cubs, whose fate remains unclear. According to WWF Italia, the cubs were at great risk since they were not yet self-sufficient.

During the animal family's regular nightly excursions through streets near the park, local residents, particularly families with small children, had frequently stopped to observe Amarena - or Black Cherry in Italian - and her cubs. As per the Corriere della Sera newspaper, residents named the bear after her favorite meals, which included cherries and black cherries.

In Italy, the subject of bear vs. humans has taken on political implications and has entered courts. An administrative court judgment earlier this year spared the life of a 17-year-old female bear, known as Jj4, who fatally attacked a runner on a mountain track in Italy's Alpine region.

Jj4 had been ordered euthanized by local political officials. In December, a court hearing on the bear's fate is scheduled. Animal rights activists have contested the bear's euthanasia order.

According to Italian state television, Amarena was the mother of another of the park's bears who died violently. That bear, which was killed by a car earlier this year, gained global attention after breaking into a bakery and eating sweets.

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