GRIZZLY BEAR FOUND SHOT IN NORTHWESTERN IDAHO
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Idaho Department of Fish and Game law enforcement agents are investigating the illegal shooting of a male grizzly bear near the Washington/Idaho border in northwestern Bonner County, Idaho.
The four year old male bear spent its life roaming the Selkirk Mountains of northwestern
Idaho and northeastern Washington. The bear was trapped and fitted with a radio tracking collar in May 2001, and was being monitored as part of the ongoing recovery effort in the Selkirk Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone.
Federal and state law enforcement agents believe the bear was shot in Idaho about seven miles west of Priest Lake between October 1 and October 4. A biologist working for the state discovered the carcass October 4 on Lamb Creek Road near the Washington/Idaho border. The biologist was performing an airplane survey to check the radio collar signals of other grizzlies in the area.
"The loss of this bear is particularly troubling since the grizzly population in the Selkirks is only about 40 bears. This bear would have been an important addition to the breeding population" said Anne Badgley, regional director of the Services Pacific Region.
Grizzly bears are classified as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and also are protected by Washington and Idaho state law. Shooting mortality is the primary cause of death for Selkirk grizzlies, and the major hurdle to recovery facing the great bears. A person convicted of killing a threatened species can be fined up to $100,000 and jailed for up to one year.
A reward of up to $4,000 is being offered by the Defenders of Wildlife and the Idaho Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the shooting death of this grizzly bear. If you have information concerning this matter, please contact the CAP line at 1-800-632-5999 (all calls are confidential), Special Agent Steve Magone (509) 928-6050, or Conservation Officer Brian Johnson (208) 267-4085.
