Bear JJ1 was a brown bear whose travels and exploits in Austria and Germany in the first half of 2006 drew international attention. JJ1, also known as Bruno in the German press, is believed to have been the first brown bear on German soil in 170 years. Previously, the last sighting of a bear in what is now Germany was recorded in 1838 when hunters shot a bear in Bavaria. Initially heralded as a welcome visitor and a symbol of the success of endangered species reintroduction programs, his dietary preferences for sheep, chickens, and beehives led government officials to believe that he could become a threat to humans, and they ordered that he be shot or captured. Public objection to the destruction order resulted in its revision, and the German government tried to use non-lethal means to sedate and capture the bear. JJ1 was described as bloodthirsty, clever, and fast. Bavarian prime minister Edmund Stoiber referred to him as a Problembär. Farmers claimed the bear "enjoyed killing," because he typically killed sheep without eating them. This behavior, common among predators, was construed as being caused by interaction with people. Wikipedia [ - ]

Bear JJ1 was a brown bear whose travels and exploits in Austria and Germany in the first half of... [ + ]