Bear Cubs' Killer Gets Off Easy
"While we are relieved that the bear killer was prosecuted for this illegal act, we are disappointed at the slap on the wrist he received." said Minette Johnson, Northern Rockies Field Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. "Until it becomes clear that there are severe penalties for poaching grizzlies, people will continue to ruthlessly kill them. The loss of even one grizzly bear can harm the local bear population, this guy killed two and tried to conceal them."
Grizzly bears reproduce very slowly making each bear death, especially bear cub deaths, a tragedy. Females don’t breed until they are five years old and usually have cubs only every three years.
"Controlling mortality is the key to recovering grizzly bears." Stated Chris Servheen, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "If people keep illegally killing grizzlies it will be on the Endangered Species list forever."
Four grizzly bears have been illegally killed in the Seeley-Swan area in only the last two years. Defenders of Wildlife is offering a reward of $2,500 and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of $1,000 for a total of $3,500 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for the most recent killing, a two year old male grizzly shot near Goat Creek just off Highway 83 between Seeley and Swan Lake. Named "Inez" by grizzly bear managers, this young bear was seen by many local residents foraging near the road. He was found at the end of April with a bullet in his head and his paws cut off. To report any information regarding this poaching incident call 1-800-TIP-MONT. Callers can remain anonymous.
Defenders of Wildlife is committed to working with law enforcement agencies to stop the illegal killing of imperiled species. To honor that commitment, Defenders established the Imperiled Predator Fund to assist state and federal agencies to uncover information about illegal killing incidents by offering financial rewards.
Defenders of Wildlife is also focused on encouraging
grizzly bear recovery in the Northern Rockies by reducing conflicts between
humans and bears and developing tolerance for bear recovery. Defenders maintains
The Bailey
Wildlife Foundation Compensation Fund to pay for all verified livestock
losses to grizzly bears. Since the program’s inception in 1997, Defenders has
disbursed more than $98,000 in payments. Defenders also has a pro-active fund,
that is used to cooperate with local landowners and state, tribal and federal
agencies to do tangible projects on the ground to prevent conflicts between
bears and humans. Some examples include purchasing electric fencing for calving
grounds, sheep bedding grounds and bee yards along the Rocky Mountain Front,
buying bear-resistant dumpsters for communities like Seeley Lake and funding
aversive conditioning of bears with Karelian bear dogs west of Glacier National
Park. More than 36 projects have been completed in the Northern Rockies to
reduce problems between bears and people.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading non-profit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 475,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.
Contact(s):
Minette Johnson, (406) 549-4103William Lutz, (202) 772-0369
