Connecticut cop on leave after gunning down beloved black mama bear Bobbi

An off-duty Ridgefield, Connecticut, cop was positioned on administrative go away this week after allegedly capturing to loss of life a beloved black bear in Newton final week, experiences mentioned.

The mama bear, recognized to locals as Bobbi, left behind two cubs after being gunned down on personal property on Could 12.

“We’re conscious that considered one of our officers was concerned in an off-duty incident wherein a bear was shot and killed in Newtown,” Ridgefield Police Chief Jeff Kreitz instructed The Ridgefield Press Tuesday.

“The incident is beneath investigation by the Division of Power and Environmental Safety (DEEP) and we’re awaiting the outcomes. Moreover, this can be a personnel matter which is beneath investigation internally,” Kreitz added.

It was unclear if Bobbi, recognized by her ear tags and a social media following, was shot on the unnamed officer’s property. Ridgefield is about 20 miles from Newtown in southwestern Connecticut.

“As soon as we full our investigation, we’ll carry that forth,” Col. Chris Lewis, the commanding officer of DEEP’s Environmental Conservation police drive, instructed the newspaper.

In the meantime, the bear’s orphaned cubs had been captured by wildlife officers on Monday and had been taken to a rehabilitation heart, officers mentioned.

The cubs had been “settling in” to their new residence on the Kilham Bear Heart in New Hampshire, DEEP officers wrote on Fb Tuesday, posting an image of one of many orphans perching in a tree.

“We had been seeing quite a lot of posts encouraging folks to attempt to feed the cubs and attempt to do different issues that had been well-intended however would have put them in a tricky place,” Jenny Dickson, director of the Wildlife Division on the Division of Power and Environmental Safety, instructed the paper.

When bears have entry to human meals, they turn into “habituated” and lose their concern of individuals, she reportedly defined.

“That turns into very very harmful for them, it’s additionally harmful for the general public,” Dickson mentioned.

It’s unlawful to kill bears in Connecticut besides in circumstances of self-defense, and bear assaults within the state are uncommon.

With AP wires