Andrea Papi 'tried to fight off killer bear with broken branch'

Trail runner, 26, mauled to death by savage bear in Italy ‘tried to fight it off with a broken branch, police believe as his girlfriend pays poignant tribute

• Andrea Papi was attacked by an unidentified brown bear in Caldes near Trento
• A bloodstained broken tree branch was found near the 26-year-old victim’s body 

A runner who died after being mauled to death by a bear in the Italian Dolomites had tried to fight him off with a broken branch, investigators believe.

Tragic Andrea Papi, 26, was attacked by the as yet unidentified brown bear during an evening training run on trails by his home.

Officials said DNA from the bear had been found on injuries sustained by Andrea, to his arms, stomach, head and throat.

They said his bloodied shorts and vest had been found 100m along the trail with a line of blood stretching back to a blind bend where he is thought to have run into the animal.

The incident at Caldes near Trento in the Italian Dolomites is the first fatality by a bear and comes just a month after another man was attacked close by.

A bloodstained broken tree branch was also found at the scene and police and local prosecutors are working on the theory that he used the branch to defend himself.

Andrea Papi, 26, pictured with his girlfriend Alessia Gregori, was killed by a bare while running in the Italian Dolomites 

Ms Gregori alerted police on Wednesday afternoon after Mr Papi had failed to return from a trail run in the woods outside Caldes, where an estimated 90 bears live

Wildlife experts say best policy if bears are encountered is to not antagonise and try to walk calmly away and not get aggressive.

Around 90 bears are thought to live in the woods around Caldes and officials said there has been seven attacks in the last 23 years but this was the first.

Andrea was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon after his girlfriend Alessia Gregori alerted police when he failed to return for dinner with her and his mum.

Police and mountain rescue officials immediately launched a hunt for him and search party with dogs found his body in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Paying tribute on Instagram to Andrea, Alessia posted a picture of herself being hugged by him and added the poignant caption: ’Hold me for ever like this.’

Police and mountain rescue officials immediately launched a hunt for him and search party with dogs found his body in the early hours of Thursday morning

His mother Franca said: ’Maybe if he has taken his dog with him he would still be here. He would have gone for the bear to protect Andrea’

His mother Franca said: ’Maybe if he has taken his dog with him he would still be here. He would have gone for the bear to protect Andrea.

‘His last words to me were “I love you. I will see you for dinner.” He was a lovely, golden boy and we used to go on long walks together in the hills.’

A spokesperson for WWF Italia said: ’We express our condolences for the death of this young man but we still need more details.

‘Whilst emotions may be running high the destruction of a bear even if it has become dangerous must always be the last resort.

‘Once again we have seen politicians trying to capitalise on this event but what should be remembered is that bears fear humans and will always keep a distance from people.’

Local officials had called for a cull on bears following last month’s attack and after several farmers had reported livestock being attacked and killed.

A spokesperson for WWF Italia said: ’We express our condolences for the death of this young man but we still need more details. ‘Whilst emotions may be running high the destruction of a bear even if it has become dangerous must always be the last resort’

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