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Ursus Speleus - Alta Badia

The first big sensation occured in the year 1987, Willi Costamoling, a well-known hotelier in Val Badia, made an exceptional discovery: penetrating a cave in the Conturines, located a few weeks earlier in one of his periodic fossil-hunting excursions, he found the prehistoric remains of the URSUS SPELEUS at the bottom of a steep and rugged slope.

This find has been defined by several palaeontologists and experts as being of extraordinary importance, as it shows that the various periods of glaciation in the Alps took place at closer intervals than previously thought.

Remains have been found dating back to 90, 70 and 45 thousand years ago.
This means that the URSUS SPELEUS inhabited the Dolomites in the intervals of temperate climates, between one Ice Age and the next.

This large herbivorous mammal, called the "KING OF THE DOLOMITES" weighed about 500 Kg and was the largest inhabitant of the area. During fine weather, it grazed in the high mountain pastures, preparing for long periods of hibernation in the caves.

Remains of a "cave lion" have also been found, which probably ventured into the cave looking for food (bear cubs) and was the victim of a fatal blow by a parent in defence of its offspring.
Many of the finds are still being studied at the University of Vienna, whilst the others are at the Department for Natural Assets in Bolzano.