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'Celeb Cub' Likely Targeted, Killed by Hunter

Researchers suspect popular black bear 'Hope' is gone

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 27, 2011 1:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – Researchers fear that a black bear who gained Internet fame after her birth was shown on a "den cam" has been killed by a hunter in northeast Minnesota. "Hope," a 20-month-old cub, has not been seen since Sept. 14, and workers at the North American Bear Center believe she may have been shot by a hunter whose bait station was visited by her mother a few days later, AP reports. Hope was not wearing a radio collar or ear tag.

Hundreds of schools in the US and scores of other countries had been following the lives of Hope and her mother, Lily. Researchers suspect she had been deliberately targeted by the hunter, who posted on a Facebook page called "Lily: a bear with a bounty" and has declined to say whether he shot Hope. "It's disappointing to see people without a care about science, education and the region," said a senior Bear Center biologist. The center's goal is to "peacefully coexist with hunters," she says, so they will not be releasing his name.

Hope has more than 132,000 fans on Facebook.
Hope has more than 132,000 fans on Facebook.   (YouTube)
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Baby Hope two months after birth.   (gypsylinda)
Hope and her sister Faith play in this video from earlier this month.   (bearstudy)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
fractal
Sep 27, 2011 5:10 PM CDT
Killing something for sport is just vile to me on a gut level.  To do so, knowing that so many are watching the bear hopefully, is sadistic.   When I started dating boys, I would always ask them if they hunt, or if they own a gun.  Either would knock him out of the running.  Same for every woman I am friends with.
passinthru
Sep 27, 2011 3:07 PM CDT
Hunting is barbaric. Especially animals we don't eat. We have industries for that now. There is no point to continue to do it without satisfying a sadistic underlying urge.
onebadc20
Sep 27, 2011 11:56 AM CDT
I don't get what the problem here is.  The hunter was a tax paying, license holding sportsman who broke no laws.  He was issued a bear tag for the zone the bears being studied were in.  Obviously the Minnesota department of natural resources understand that bears are a nuisance animal and need to be controlled.  Its not like the shot a sow with cubs.  Congrats to the individual who filled his tag!

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