You are partners in our mission, and over the years, we’ve shared so much good news with you. News like seeing Little Bit Bear living her life in the wild where she belongs. This time, our news is not good. On December 22, 2010, Appalachian... Bear Rescue admitted an underweight yearling from Louisiana, aptly named Kris Kringle Bear. He remained in our care until April 20, 2011, when he was healthy enough for Louisiana Wildlife Officers to come and return him to his native state. Once released back to the wild, Kris did as bears do: he wandered the land, in search of food and territory of his own. His travels took him to Mississippi, and it was there, in December of 2011, that Kris met his end, shot by a poacher. The poacher was apprehended, taken to court, and sentenced to three years of supervised probation. He was ordered to pay $10,000 to the state of Mississippi for “the value of the bear”, forfeited his 2005 GMC truck, and paid $500 for the value of the rifle he used to kill Kris. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 to Appalachian Bear Rescue, a sum familiar to our Facebook friends; it’s what it costs to care for a cub from the day he arrives at ABR, to the day he’s released. We’ve been silent on this incident as it made its way through the judicial system, but yesterday we received the check from the U.S District Court in Jackson, Mississippi. The money brings us no comfort. Kris was a young bear, whose life was cut short. It was our privilege to have helped him, and we won’t let his death go unnoticed.
Please click on the link to read this story in more detail, and to watch a short video on Kris.
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