Black bear with her cub shot and killed in residential Del Rio neighborhood

In Del Rio, Texas, a black mother bear with her cub was shot and killed on Friday in a residential neighborhood. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says the killing of the mother bear is now under investigation.

According to NewsChant, black bears are protected species in Southwest Texas and an important part of the ecosystem. The bear and her cub may have been drawn to the area after someone left food out meant to feed stray cats. The sow was killed by a resident in the area.

Texas Parks and Wildlife had been encouraging the bears to leave the area. At the time this mother bear and her baby were spotted in a tree, officials tried using loud noises, non-lethal flash rounds, paintball rounds and rubber buckshot, however a resident shot and killed the bear during the interim.

Residents are being asked to stay away from the bears, and notify local authorities and request they summon local park and wildlife officials. Also, residents are encouraged to secure pet food, garbage cans and bird feeders.

The cub survived and has been relocated to a rehabilitation center in New Mexico.

For more information how how humans and bears can peacefully co-exist, please click here.

We are sorry mother bear – humans can be so ruthless.

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