(Publisher’s Note — This story will be updated as information becomes available)
Many Del Rio citizens are enraged after a private citizen shot and killed a female black bear Sunday night.
The uproar has drawn the attention of Vanessa Croix, a KENS5 reporter, who is airing a story about the bear killing at 6 p.m. Monday night
Texas Parks and Wildlife released the following statement.
A black bear sow and cub were spotted in the Del Rio city limits. The pair was first spotted on October 16. Hazing was done in an effort to hopefully cause the bears to leave the city and residential areas. Due to the number of onlookers, it was difficult for hazing practices to be effective and the bears continued to stay in a residential area of town. It was discovered later that the bears may have been drawn to pet food that is frequently left out by residents to feed local stray cats as this is an easy meal for the bears as well. Around 12:30 a.m. on October 19, the sow was shot and killed by a Del Rio resident. The incident is still under investigation by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and local law enforcement.
More information regarding bear safety can be found here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/resources/bear_safety/#top
