KEY POINTS
- The mother bear was shot to death July 26 on the south end of Woodland Park
- The two orphaned cubs have been brought to a rehabilitation facility
- A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the poacher’s arrest
- Illegal killing of wildlife can lead to jail time and fines of up to $3,000
Two bear cubs have been orphaned after a poacher killed a mother bear in Woodland Park, Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has offered a reward for any information that could lead to an arrest of the person who shot the bear.
The bear was found dead on July 26 on the south end of Woodland Park in the Ranch Estates neighborhood, The Denver Gazette reported. It was later found that the bear was shot to death but no other details were released about the incident.
Wildlife officials found the orphaned cubs in a nearby tree. They have since been brought to a rehabilitation facility and will be taught about survival skills. The cubs are expected to be released into the wild when they are old enough.
CPW district wildlife manager Corey Adler said authorities “need the public’s help” in getting the poacher arrested as there are no leads. “This is poaching and it’s illegal and we want to catch the person who did this,” Adler said in a statement cited by Fox affiliate KDVR.
Adler said convictions related to illegal killing or injuring wildlife can result in jail time of up to six months and fines ranging from $750 to $3,000.
Up to $1,000 is being offered for any information that would lead to the arrest of the individual who shot the mother bear. Area wildlife manager Cody Wigner said the CPW “takes these situations very seriously.”
Information or tips about the incident can be relayed through CPW’s Southeast Regional Office’s contact number: 719-227-5200. For anonymous tips, tipsters are encouraged to call 877-265-6648 or email game.thief@state.co.us.
