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Neighbors upset man shot bear cub in S. Lake Tahoe
Neighbors upset a man shot a bear cub in S. Lake Tahoe.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Neighbors are upset after a man shot and killed a bear cub that snuck into his home in South Lake Tahoe.
People in the neighborhood say on Memorial Day they saw the bear standing near the door to his home.
Seconds later, they say the man shot the cub twice before it ran back up into a tree.
KCRA reported that the homeowner shot the bear a third time after the bear fell from the tree and appeared to be suffering. The homeowner then called 911 to report the incident.
The Bear League reported that the bear died.
Wildlife officials say it's common to see young bears in the area this time of year.
The neighbors say he should've been more patient, since cubs are still learning where they can and can't roam.
"I feel badly for the bear," Lori Thorne, who lives nearby, told Sacramento TV station, KCRA3. "They don't usually get into those situations."
Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League, said that cubs are "on their own for the first time, [and they're] kind of clueless. They don't know the rules yet so we have to be tolerant for a while. And this neighbor was not tolerant."
Fish and wildlife officials conducted an investigation into the shooting, and decided the homeowner responded appropriately.