Grieving Mama Bear Finally Leaves Tree After Cubs Shot To Death
EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - An Evergreen man is facing several charges after shooting at a mother bear and her two cubs, killing the cubs. After the cubs were shot the mother bear spent all day Tuesday in a nearby tree.
The man, who hasn't been identified, shot at the bears early Tuesday morning in the 27000 block of Lupine Drive. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said they received a call about 5:15 a.m. that a man had shot at the bears.
The homeowner and his family were awakened by three bears, a mother bear and two cubs, going through their trash outside. The man fired two rubber buckshot rounds at the bears to scare them off.
The man's neighbors are upset about the shooting.
"I was up and heard several shots out the back so I grabbed my .357 and I went out the backdoor," said neighbor Jack Bestall. "I looked out the back and saw a gentleman up on his porch behind me and one house down, and I really didn't know what had happened."
"Couldn't believe someone would shoot a bear for going through their trash," said another neighbor. "We love wildlife here that's why we moved here."
The man's dog apparently got loose and started to fight with the mother bear. Fearing for the dog's safety, the man said he fired a third round which was a live bullet. The bullet struck and killed one of the bear cubs and hit the other bear cub. The other cub was severely injured and had to be euthanized.
The mother bear ran across the street and into a tree and remained there all day until just before 8:30 p.m. when it left on its own.
The final bullet also went through a neighbor's window.
Pictures of the cubs in the area before the shooting have been posted on social media.
"He should definitely face charges, he's broke laws," said one neighbor.
"It is unfortunate that, whatever the situation was, that it resulted in the death of the two cubs," said Bestall.
The Jeffco Sheriff's Office is discussing charges with the Jeffco District Attorney's Office that include a felony illegal discharge of a firearm and two misdemeanor charges of hunting out of season.
