‘Killing a Bear,’ From Movistar Plus and Arte France: a Real-Event Inspired Murder-Mystery Whose Victim Is a Pyrenean Brown Bear
The six-part Spanish series *Killing a Bear* follows a murder investigation after Cachou, a Pyrenean brown bear, is poisoned during Spain’s COVID lockdown in April 2020. Based on real events, the case became the first criminal investigation in Spain and Europe into the killing of an animal, while the series uses the mystery to explore tensions in a divided community.
The story is set in Val d’Aran, where an anti-bear online chat room has 262 members. A leading suspect is Zacaríes Farga, a local politician who oversees funds for bear conservation but also runs the chat room; anti-freeze found in his garage adds to suspicion. The series, created by Jorge and Alberto Sánchez-Cabezudo, is due to premiere at the Valladolid Film Festival, which begins on 23 October.
In short
- A poisoned bear triggers a landmark criminal investigation.
- The six-part drama is set in Val d’Aran.
- A local politician who runs an anti-bear chat room becomes a suspect.
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The case for
The investigation can be seen as a necessary response to the deliberate killing of a protected animal, especially given the conservation risks facing a small bear population. Pursuing evidence through criminal proceedings affirms that wildlife protection laws apply even when a case is politically contentious, and may help establish accountability and deter future poisonings.
The case against
A criminal investigation can be justified while still raising concerns about how suspicion is formed and publicised in a divided community. Online opposition to bear policy, political responsibility for conservation funds, or the presence of anti-freeze may warrant scrutiny, but none alone establishes guilt; a fair process must distinguish evidence from association and protect the presumption of innocence.
Explained simply
Cachou was a brown bear living in Val d’Aran, a mountain valley in the Spanish Pyrenees. In April 2020, during Spain’s COVID lockdown, he was poisoned; the real case led to a criminal investigation into the killing of an animal.
The case touched a community divided over the return and protection of bears. Some people support conservation, while others oppose having bears nearby, and an online chat room became a focus of the investigation. One person under suspicion was local politician Zacaríes Farga, who had a role in conservation funding and ran the chat room; suspicion is not proof of guilt.
The series draws on these events to tell a murder mystery and examine how the case affected the valley. Its background helps explain why a bear’s death became a matter of public conflict as well as a criminal investigation.
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