For Immediate Release, November 13, 2020
Contact: |
Andrea Zaccardi, (303) 854-7748, azaccardi@biologicaldiversity.org |
$10,000 Reward Offered for Information on Illegal Killing of Mother Grizzly Bear, Cub in Montana
BOZEMAN, Mont.— The Center for Biological Diversity is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for illegally killing a sow grizzly bear and her cub and dumping their bodies on Bear Creek Road near Bigfork, Montana. This marks the third confirmed grizzly bear poaching incident in Montana this year, with several other deaths under investigation.
The grizzlies’ bodies were first discovered along a roadside Nov. 9, though it is not clear when the bears were killed.
“Killing a mother grizzly bear with her cub is disgusting and sad. And it shows why grizzly bears still need federal protection,” said Andrea Zaccardi, a senior attorney at the Center. “This female grizzly and her cub have now been taken out of a population that needs them. It’s a setback to the recovery of these magnificent bears. I’m urging anyone who knows anything about this incident to please, step up and help bring the poachers to justice.”
Grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem are currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to kill one in Montana other than in self-defense.
Rules against killing grizzly bears may soon disappear, however, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken steps toward removing Endangered Species Act protection from grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.
Even with current federal protection, grizzly bears still suffer from high levels of human-caused mortality, including poaching, misidentification and shooting by black bear hunters, and vehicle strikes. So far this year, 32 grizzly bears have been reported killed in the region.
Poaching a federally protected grizzly bear is punishable with fines up to $25,000 and up to six months in prison. Anyone with information about this incident should call Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). Callers may remain anonymous.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.