Italian 'Bear Meat' Menu Appears at 20,000 Won Range... "Disgusting and Immoral" Outrage

"Imported from Slovenia Where Bear Hunting Is Legal"
Continued Sales After Explanation... Restaurant Crowded with Customers

Two young Asiatic black bears rescued from a bear bile farm in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, are eating fruit at Cheongju Zoo in October last year.

An Italian restaurant is facing backlash from animal rights activists after putting bear meat on its menu.

On the 1st (local time), according to the British daily The Times, 'The Al Puntic restaurant' in Treviso, northeastern Italy, recently started selling stew and polenta made with bear meat for 18 euros (about 24,000 won).

The restaurant's manager, Monica Pacagnella, explained the reason for introducing bear meat, saying, "Bear meat tastes similar to roe deer and red deer, and it is sweeter than deer in terms of sweetness."

As this news spread, animal rights activists strongly opposed it.

First of all, the fact that bears are a protected species in Italy became an issue.

Italy had previously designated bears such as the Marsican brown bear as protected species due to their endangered status.

When controversy arose, the restaurant explained, "The bear meat is imported from Slovenia, where bear hunting is legal."

However, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, a former minister and animal rights activist, argued, "It is disgusting and immoral," adding, "Importing meat from bears killed in Slovenia is a moral crime against nature."

An animal rights activist living in northern Brescia also pointed out, "If you were in Brescia, I would have put you in the food instead of the bear."

Nevertheless, The Times reported that the restaurant plans to continue selling the bear meat menu for now.

The restaurant's lawyer, Davide Petralia, stated, "The bear meat used in the restaurant was imported through legal means," and added, "Such reactions from animal rights activists could be considered defamation."

Local media reported that despite various controversies, the restaurant is currently bustling with customers eager to try bear meat.