In April 2026, a young Marsican brown bear was at the center of an incident that drew renewed attention to the persistence of poaching and to the effectiveness of conservation work carried out in the territory of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.
The animal was located thanks to monitoring activities carried out by the Park staff and following a report by Salviamo L’Orso, in an extremely critical condition: a metal snare was tightly constricting its neck, likely an illegal trap intended for other wild animals but potentially lethal for any species, including bears. According to information released by the Park authorities, the situation required a rapid yet extremely cautious intervention to avoid further stress or worsening of its condition.
After days of observation and assessment of the bear’s behavior, a team of veterinarians and specialized technicians managed to carry out a remote sedation, an essential procedure to safely intervene on a large wild animal. Once immobilized, the staff was able to remove the snare and assess the animal’s physical condition, which showed injuries but was stabilized on site.
The Park emphasized that the successful outcome of the intervention was the result of collaboration between different professionals and a well-established monitoring system, which is essential for dealing with incidents of this kind in a timely manner. The bear, renamed “Free,” was then released back into its natural environment.
The name chosen encapsulates the deeper meaning of the episode: not only the salvation of an individual, but also a reminder of the need to keep up the focus against illegal practices that continue to pose a threat to the survival of theMarsican brown bear, one of Europe’s rarest and most vulnerable populations.
The Libero episode confirms, once again, how much the conservation of the species depends on a delicate balance between active protection, territorial control, human responsibility and effective and strict legislation.
> Watch the video of the release.
> Our talk on Saturday and Sunday Diary,on Mediaset Infinity (starting at about minute 47:30).