An arrest has been made in connection with the death of an endangered brown bear that wandered into a town in northwestern Iran on Sunday.

According to the state news agency Iran, residents of Kenazaq, Ardabil province, chased and struck the animal before using a tractor to restrain it.

A photograph taken at the scene showed it stuck to the ground by a tractor wheel, its neck tethered to an earth mover.

According to Iran, the bear suffered a shattered limb, pelvic, and spine injuries.

According to Iran, it was transferred to a wildlife clinic by environmental protection officers, where it died from its injuries.

A local prosecutor condemned the “horrible” crime, saying it had hurt the community.

According to the semi-official Isna news agency, the head of the judiciary in Ardabil said on Monday that the “culprit” had been apprehended without naming him.

It is unknown what prompted the villagers to attack the animal.

The population of brown bears in Iran, which is centred in the Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges, has declined owing to habitat loss, human conflict, and hunting.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which monitors the conservation status of over 100,000 species, considers them endangered.

Also in Iran on Sunday, an endangered Persian leopard was shot dead after attacking and injuring a policeman in the city of Ghaemshahr, north of the capital, Tehran.

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