PORT ALLEN, La. (BRPROUD) – One neighborhood in West Baton Rouge followed the exploits of a black bear for the last few days.
As recently as Monday, the black bear was seen roaming around Port Allen.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, the bear was captured by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
After capturing the 200-pound bear, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries decided to euthanize the animal.
“We’ve worked so hard to re-establish the Louisiana black bear population in our state and any time we have to euthanize one it is a hard decision,’’ LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet said. “This is always a last resort in these cases. Unfortunately, bears like this one, that have become too dependent on human food sources, cannot be successfully relocated. Public safety is our utmost concern and that’s why this difficult call was made.’’
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries provided these tips for how to limit human-bear conflicts:
- Never feed or approach bears
- Secure food, garbage, and recycling
- Remove bird feeders when bears are active
- Never leave pet food outdoors
- Clean and store BBQ grills
- Let your neighbors know if you see bears in your area
When a bear has learned to access human sourced food associated with residential areas, it can cause a behavior progression that becomes a human safety risk, LDWF Biologist Supervisor Scott Durham said.