Two years after he was released into the Spanish Pyrenees as part of a conservation programme, Goiat the brown bear faces expulsion over a predatory rampage that has enraged local farmers.

The 31-stone male was captured in Slovenia and transferred to the Alt Pireneu (High Pyrenees) National Park in Catalonia in 2016 as part of a European project to save the brown bear population in the region.

But Goiat, whose name means “lad” in Catalan, is now to be ejected after embarking on a killing spree against local livestock. The troublemaking bear is blamed for no less than 15 attacks since April, including the deaths of six horses and four foals, as well as several sheep.

Under pressure from farmers, the Catalan government has announced plans to capture and remove Goiat. But his fate remains unknown: options include moving him to a bear sanctuary, returning him to the wild in Slovenia or even euthanasia - the latter a last resort that authorities admit would prove highly controversial.

Any decision must also meet with the approval of French authorities, partners in the Pyroslife project.