Poacher Kills Bear Beloved By Residents Of Colorado Springs Neighborhood
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - A bear was shot and killed in the middle of a Colorado Springs neighborhood and now the hunt is on for the poacher responsible.
"I looked outside and it was lying right out there, 10 feet from the road," said Cheyenne Mountain Estates resident Alice Tinder.
"For somebody to take a shot at him like that, it's disheartening that somebody would do that," said Nick Bonck, who lives across the street from where the bear was found.
The 400-pound bear was a common sight among homeowners at the Cheyenne Mountain Estates and had never bothered anyone.
"It's really disappointing because he was such a part of our lives up here," said Bonck. "That's the reason you live up here on the mountain ... to live around the animals."
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the bear was killed as early as Friday morning and the shooter may face poaching charges, a felony in Colorado carrying a fine of up to $20,000.
"We see him here all the time," said Tinder. "They don't really hurt anybody."
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says anyone with information that leads to the conviction of the poacher may get up to a $500 reward.
Additional Information From Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Anyone with information can contact the Operation Game Thief for CPW at 1-877-265-6648 or email game.thief@state.co.us.