In Italy, a brown bear has been spotted stealing cookies from a bakery. Although he was twice transferred to a park and an animal sanctuary, the animal managed to find his home village.
Photo credit: iStock
In Roccaraso, Italy, the owners of a bakery had a big surprise when they entered their business last November: a huge brown bear had broken in to steal all the cookies. The animal managed to break a window to enter the shop and feed.
“He must have smelled their scent floating in the street. I had cooked a lot of them, some were on the table, the others were in the oven. The doors were slightly open and he managed to get all the trays out and eat the cookies”told Marina Valentini, the owner of the bakery.
The bear has returned to the bakery
Affectionately nicknamed Juan Carrito, the bear was transferred to an Italian national park, 40 kilometers from Roccaraso. However, the animal only stayed a few days in its new environment since it managed to escape and return to its favorite bakery! In Roccaraso, the bear used to drink water from the fountain and search the garbage cans for leftover pizzas or sandwiches.
The cookies stolen by the bear. Photo credit: Chris Warde-Jones/The Guardian
Although he never presented a danger to the inhabitants, the bear was transferred a second time to an animal sanctuary last March.
“We know there are other bears in the park he can be with and we really hope he sticks around this time. The chances of him staying are not high, but we really want to give him the chance for a normal life.”said Antonio Antonicci, biologist.
This animal sanctuary was located 150 kilometers from the bakery. This distance obviously did not bother the bear, as he once again managed to retrace his steps and return to Roccaraso.
In less than three weeks, the animal returned near the village. Faced with such great determination, animal experts decided to leave the bear in its original environment, providing it with a GPS collar to monitor its movements. Although he is accepted again near the village, he will not be entitled to a second batch of cookies.
