A jogger found torn to pieces in a forest is believed to have been killed and ripped apart by a bear.

Victim Andrea Papi, 26, was last seen alive on the morning of 5th April before he went out for a run in Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy.

His badly mauled body was found in a wooded area just hours later after his girlfriend alerted police when he failed to return home for dinner.

Searchers found him with severe wounds that looked like the result of a wild animal attack, local media report.

The young PT student is believed to have been attacked by one – or more- bears on the forest road overlooking the town.

Investigators suspect Andrea might have been mauled on the road and then dragged deeper into the forest where he was “disembowelled”.

An autopsy is being carried out to determine if Andrea was already dead when the animals found him.

The culprits are likely to be brown bears which live in forests and woodlands in the region.

The case has shocked the local community, with many residents claiming bear sightings have increased recently.

Just last month – locals claim – several farms were hit and one sheep ended up being mauled to death.

Local MP Maurizio Fugatti said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “This is a moment of pain, so I believe that what is right must be done in respect of the people concerned at this particular moment.

“I was on site this morning [Thur] and I was able, together with the local authorities, to see what had happened in person.

“We then met the administrators of the municipality concerned and of the entire valley.

“The prefect was alerted and together it was decided to set up a committee for public order and safety.”