An American black bear was poached and skinned near Hillsboro and conservation agents have identified a suspect, the Missouri Department of Conservation reported this morning (May 6).
After hearing reports that the bear had been killed, conservation agents found it dead on Monday (May 2). It had been shot. The name of the suspect wasn’t released.
Dan Zarlenga, media specialist with the Conservation Department, said the suspect was issued a citation for a misdemeanor and faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
If the suspect pleads not guilty to the citation, the department will seek the criminal charges. “The rest will play out through the legal system,” Zarlenga said.
On April 28, a Hillsboro-area woman photographed a black bear walking through her backyard near Butcher Branch Road off Hwy. B. Photos were circulated through social media and news reports.
Zarlenga said conservation agents got multiple reports on Monday that a bear near Hillsboro, which may have been the same bear that was photographed, had been shot and killed. According to a news release from the agency, “There was no indication the bear acted aggressively.”
He said tips from the public helped in the investigation. “We got leads about where to start looking and who might be involved.”
Through the investigation, agents identified a suspect. Zarlenga said the investigation is ongoing.
Zarlenga said after being shot, the bear had been skinned. The department has both the bear skin and the bear’s remains in evidence.
“We can confirm the species is an American black bear and that the bear was illegally shot,” he said.
Black bears are a protected native wildlife species and may not be hunted or killed in Missouri. “Bears are a native species (in Missouri) that was wiped out through over-hunting,” he said.
Black bears have been reintroduced in northern Arkansas and have begun migrating north and establishing a population in Missouri.
“We are not deliberately reintroducing bears,” Zarlenga said. “But they are a native species.”
Under the Wildlife Code of Missouri, he said black bears may be killed in two specific circumstances.
“If a bear is attacking people, domestic animals or livestock, you can take action,” he said. “But if a bear is killed in that situation, you are required to notify an agent immediately and the remains must be surrendered.”
Bears also can be killed if they are causing damage to property, but only after the property owner gets consent from a conservation agent. “It must be through prescribed and approved methods and the remains must be turned over to the agent,” Zarlenga said.
Zarlenga said neither circumstance existed in the alleged poaching case.
If you witness or suspect a wildlife violation, report it to your local MDC conservation agent or call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-392-1111.
Information can be given anonymously or a name may be be given for a possible reward of up to $1,000 in the case of criminal activity.