Reward at $6,000 for information about fatal shooting of black bear in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A $6,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest of whoever fatally shot a Louisiana Black Bear found in Lincoln Parish last month.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in a news release Thursday that its agents responded to a report May 12 of a dead black bear in Ruston. Taking a bear during a closed season brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. In addition, if found guilty of killing a black bear, the person responsible could be ordered to pay $10,000 restitution for the bear’s replacement value.

The Humane Society of the U.S. and the Safari Club International Acadiana Chapter are each offering up to $2,500 for information in the case, while Louisiana Operation Game Thief is offering up to a $1,000 to cover the $6,000 reward.

Anyone with information regarding this killing should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. The hotline and the state’s tip411 program, where citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411, are monitored 24 hours a day. Informants can remain anonymous.