Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads in the illegal killing of a black bear in Concordia Parish.
A reward of up to $7,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering $5,000, LDWF’s Operation Game Thief program up to $1,000, and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation another $1,000.
A fisherman found the bear, badly decomposed, on Sept. 1 in the Atchafalaya River. The bear was a part of LDWF’s Black Bear Restoration Program and was radio collared over the past year to track the animal’s movements. The bear was normally tracked in the Turnbull Island area of Concordia Parish.
At this time, agents believe that the approximately four-year-old female bear was killed in Concordia Parish and thrown in the river, where her body then floated downstream.
The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Residents are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a restitution fine of $10,000 for the animal may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.
Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF's tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the "LADWF Tips" iPhone and Android app from the Apple App Store or Google Play free of charge.
The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.
For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.