A cave of prehistoric bear bones found nearly 10,000 feet up Italy’s Dolomites is now locked behind a metal gate

A mountain guide has found a cave full of prehistoric cave bear remains close to 3,000 metres (nearly 10,000 feet) up in the Italian Dolomites. Now the cave sits behind a purpose-built metal grille, and a monitoring system watches the entrance.

A chance find on a vertical rock face

Kurt Walde, a mountain guide from Brunico, discovered the cave in July 2026. According to HeritageDaily, it lies at Col Toronn in the Val Badia part of the Dolomites in northern Italy. A local report from 24 July describes the location slightly differently: below Cima di Conturines and above the already known Conturines cave.

The entrance sits on a vertical rock face at almost 3,000 metres. That is roughly 9,800 feet, so reaching it takes real climbing skill. The remains inside belong to prehistoric cave bears. Researchers have so far attributed them to either Ursus spelaeus or Ursus ladinicus, and they have not settled which species it is.

Why the Dolomites matter for cave bears

Cave bears were large bears that lived across Europe during the Ice Age and spent winters hibernating in caves. The Dolomites already have a reputation for high-altitude cave bear sites, including the nearby Conturines cave at about 2,800 metres. Finds at that height are unusual, and they let scientists ask how these animals used mountain terrain.

The local report says many of the skeletons look nearly complete. If that holds up, the cave could help international research on the species, according to the report.

Protecting the site from looters

News of the discovery spread quickly, and officials worried that looters might try to reach the cave. South Tyrol’s Office of Archaeology put emergency measures in place within days to block unauthorized access. HeritageDaily reports that the office has now completed a permanent solution.

Workers first fitted a dustproof protective sheet to keep debris and contaminants out of the cave. Then they transported a specially manufactured metal grille to the site and anchored it into the rock. A monitoring system now covers the entrance. The team coordinated the work with the State Domains Agency and the Office for Nature, because the cave lies inside a Natura 2000 protected area.

Christian Terzer, director of the Office of Archaeology, pointed to the logistical challenge of managing the project on a vertical rock face, according to HeritageDaily.

What scientists will do next

An interdisciplinary scientific investigation of the cave and its remains is planned. Researchers hope it will show how cave bear populations lived in the Dolomites, including their ecology and behavior. Provincial Councillor Philipp Achammer said, “Now the scientific work begins. It should give us a more accurate picture of how the cave bears lived in the Dolomites.”

In July, provincial heritage superintendent Karin Dalla Torre stressed that the find calls for a research project that matches the great responsibility of the discovery, according to the local report.

What we still do not know

Several basic questions remain open. The species identification is not final, and nobody has published an age for the bones. We also do not know how many individuals the cave holds, or why the bears used a spot so high on a steep face. The scientific work has only been announced, not carried out, so any conclusions about bear behavior would be premature.

For now, the metal gate keeps the cave quiet and intact. The real story starts when the researchers get inside.

Sources

• South Tyrol Office of Archaeology (LPA) press release (original link not verified)
• HeritageDaily: Prehistoric cave bear site secured in the Italian Dolomites
• Il Nordest: Nuovo ritrovamento di Ursus Ladinicus in Alto Adige