An 81-year-old French hunter stood trial on Tuesday, accused of killing an endangered female bear that had attacked him in the Pyrenees mountain range.

The brown bear, a protected species, was shot and killed by Andre Rives while he was hunting boar. The incident occurred on November 20, 2021, when Rives encountered two bear cubs, followed by their mother, who charged at him.

Rives, a resident of the Ariege department, was hunting when he first spotted the cubs emerging from the woods in front of him. As he looked at them with admiration, the mother bear suddenly appeared and charged at him, dragging him several metres. "I made myself very small. Then the mother saw me. Our eyes met, she charged," Rives told the court.

He claimed he had no option but to shoot the animal in self-defence, stating, "She grabbed my left thigh, I panicked and fired a shot. She backed away growling, she went around me and bit my right calf, I fell, she was eating my leg," he added. "I reloaded my rifle and fired."

The shooting took place 400 metres outside an authorised hunting area, an issue central to the trial. According to the investigation, Rives' actions contravened the regulations, and the bear’s death sparked outrage among animal rights activists and local communities alike. The case drew significant attention in the region, with demonstrations held by hunters supporting Rives, who was charged with "destroying a protected species."

"This is not an anti-bear or pro-bear trial," presiding judge Sun Yung Lazare remarked, clarifying the focus of the case. "Rives is on trial for 'destroying a protected species,'" she stated.

Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of a local hunting federation, defended Rives' actions. He argued that the hunter acted in self-defence, saying, "He fired. He should have let her do it? No, he saved his own skin." Other hunters involved in the boar hunt claimed the boundaries of the Mont Valier nature reserve were poorly marked, further complicating the case. "You never really know where you are," one of them said, citing the poor visibility of reserve markers on trees.

However, prosecutor Olivier Mouysset countered, saying, "Your obligation as a hunter is to know where you are hunting," in response to the claims about unclear boundaries. Meanwhile, environmentalists and activists fiercely contested the notion of self-defence. Alain Reynes, from the bear-preservation association Pays de l'ours, questioned, "To what extent can one argue necessity, when one has committed a series of offences that led to the death of the bear Caramelles?"

The case has sparked broader concerns about the role of bears in the Pyrenees ecosystem. Animal rights advocates argue that bears are essential for maintaining the fragile balance of the mountain ecosystem, which is threatened by human activity and climate change. "Bears are threatened with extinction—the disappearance of a breeding female is serious," said Julie Rover, a lawyer representing the environmental associations.

Since the reintroduction of bears to the region in the 1990s, following their near extinction, tensions have risen between farmers and conservationists over the bears' impact on livestock. As of 2023, more than 80 bears are estimated to inhabit the Pyrenees, with environmentalists concerned about the continued threat to their survival.

The trial, set to continue until Wednesday, remains a contentious issue, with various parties voicing their concerns over hunting regulations, animal protection, and the future of the region’s wildlife.