A hunter who shot a bear is on trial in France. Animal attacked a man and broke both his legs (3 photos)

Andre Rives, 81, was hunting wild boar on November 20, 2021, when he was attacked by a brown bear named Caramel. She pounced on the man and dragged him by his legs. The brutal attack only ended after Rives managed to shoot the bear. However, the pensioner suffered serious injuries: both his legs were broken and an artery was damaged.





Despite this, Rives was charged with killing a protected animal, as the brown bear is listed as a protected species in the Pyrenees, a mountain range that separates France and Spain.

Moreover, 15 other hunters were also under investigation for hunting in the Mont Valier Nature Reserve, as investigators determined that the bear was killed about 400 meters outside the permitted hunting zone.

Speaking in court in Foix, Rives described the moment of the attack:

"She grabbed me by the left thigh, I panicked and fired. She retreated, growling, went around me and bit my right calf. I fell, she was devouring my leg. I reloaded the gun and fired," he said.



The case has sparked outrage in France. Hunters are rallying in support of Rives, insisting the pensioner acted in self-defense.

Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of the local hunting federation, said:

"He shot. What should he have done? Let her finish? No, he saved his life. The bear is dead. The man is alive. It's sad, but I prefer this outcome to the other way around."

However, representatives of environmental and animal rights organizations dispute the version of self-defense. Wildlife defenders also staged a protest outside the courthouse.

Alain Rein from the "Country of the Bear" association asked: "Can we talk about the need for protection if a person has already committed a series of violations that ultimately led to the death of the bear Caramel?"

Presiding judge Sun Yun Lazar reminded the defense lawyers and 20 conservation groups involved in the trial: “This is not a trial for or against bears, nor is it a trial for or against hunting. The only question is: was the killing of the bear illegal?”

According to the Spanish bear conservation organization Fundación Oso Pardo, there are currently 83 bears in the Pyrenees. The animals had been virtually extinct in the region until France began a reintroduction program in the 1990s, importing bears from Slovenia.

The trial is expected to end today.