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Veterinarians use the term “euthanize” to mean putting a dog or cat to death humanely by lethal injection.
But, on October 5th the Wyoming Game and Fish Department reported the following:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wyoming Game and Fish Department are currently investigating a grizzly bear attack. On Saturday morning, a man was injured by a grizzly bear while elk hunting west of Cody, Wyoming. The man rode out to the trailhead and was flown by helicopter to an area hospital where he is receiving treatment for what was initially reported as non-life threatening injuries.
Upon notification of the incident, Game and Fish immediately responded to the scene. Their initial investigation indicates the hunter was attacked after a sudden encounter at close range with an adult female grizzly bear with two cubs. The female grizzly was killed by the hunter and his hunting partner, and Game and Fish, in coordination with the Service, euthanized her two cubs.
The investigation is ongoing and is under the direction of the Service. https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Cody-Region/Cody-Region- News/Hunter-injured-in-Wyoming-grizzly-bear-attack
‘The safety of outdoor recreationists [hunters] is always at the forefront of our minds. Our thoughts are with the individual who was injured and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.’ said Cody Regional Wildlife Supervisor Dan Smith for Wyoming Game and Fish.
They euthanized the little cubs despite the fact that Grizzly bears in Wyoming and the lower 48 states are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
C.A.S.H. called Dan Smith at Wyoming Game and Fish to ask just how the babies were euthanized. Dan confirmed our suspicion that the cubs were “euthanized” with a firearm!!!
We asked why they weren’t turned over to a rehabber and he said they only have bird rehabbers in WY. That is likely by design. There is one mammal rehabber in the entire state, and when we called her, she said she only rehabs small mammals like chipmunks, squirrels, etc.
Killing the mother is atrocious enough, but shooting the cubs is as sick as it gets. The cubs were from the spring and perhaps smaller and younger than the little cub in the photo.
by Anne Muller, editor of the C.A.S.H. Courier
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