WASHINGTON 鈥� Police in Maryland are searching for the person responsible for killing a beloved 430-pound black bear in the Frederick City Watershed.
Candy Thompson, with the Maryland Natural Resources Police, said the bear was found Sunday by a resident walking through the woods. She said the bear was seen often by locals, and many are upset that the 7-year-old animal was killed.
鈥淭hat this bear that had been part of the landscape is now gone, and the person that shot it just left it there to rot,鈥� Thompson said.
The four-day black bear hunting season in Maryland happens in October, and hunters have to be awarded licenses from the state.
That makes this kill illegal, Thompson said, and the person responsible faces charges of failing to report a kill and hunting out of season. If they have hunting licenses, they can be revoked for a year.
Thompson said the size of this bear can be put into perspective when you compare the 430-pound animal to the largest black bear shot this season, which was 152 pounds.
Anyone with information on the bear poacher is asked to call the department鈥檚 24-hour catch-a-poacher hotline at 1-800-635-6124.
