Animal rights groups are attempting to save a bear that has been sentenced to death after allegedly attacked a father in Italy.

Per CNN, 59-year-old Fabio Misseroni was hiking with and his son Christian Misseroni, 28, on a trail in the northern region of Trentino on Monday.

However, their relaxing stroll turned into a near-fatal nightmare after a bear appeared on the Mount Peller path and reportedly attacked the pair.

The father and son claim that the bear bit Christian's leg, which resulted in dad Fabio jumping on the animal's back in an attempt to give his son an opportunity to escape.

Related - This young boy was stalked by a bear during a hike in Northern Italy last month:

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Speaking to CNN, Christian said that the angry bear then bit and swiped at his father - breaking Fabio's leg in three places.

Christian was then forced to take action to save his father, and started jumping up and down and clapping in an effort to distract the animal. This caused the bear to run away and into the woods, Christian recalls.

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Following a capture and cull order from Trentino governor Maurizio Fugatti, authorities are now trying to identify the attacking bear through DNA samples that have been taken from the saliva and fur left in the men's wounds and on their clothing.

The DNA will then be matched to a database local authorities have been collecting from bear feces, fur, and saliva in recent years.

Per the regulations of Italy's National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, bears that attack humans are to be euthanized once correctly identified.

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However, animal activist groups Animalisti Italiani and the World Wide Fund for Nature have voiced their objections to the bear's death sentence, and are calling for the local government to rethink killing the animal.

CNN reports that the groups are asking for a full investigation to be carried out, including determining whether or not the father and son provoked the bear - an act the Misseroni men deny.

As of this writing, over 18,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling for the bear to be saved.

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Italian environment minister Sergio Costa has also written a letter to Fugatti, saying:

"Only after collecting certain scientific information on the animal involved in the accident with the two citizens we will be able to evaluate technical solutions that, in my opinion, must not result in killing the animal."

Animal rights groups fighting to save bear sentenced to death after attacking dad and son