Black Bear Death Being Investigated

By The Associated Press

MAYERSVILLE — Federal wildlife officials are investigating the killing of a black bear in November in Issaquena County in the Mississippi Delta.

WLBT-TV reports that no details of how the bear was killed have been released.

Brad Young, with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, says the bear was born in Mississippi in February of 2007.

Young says the bear had a special global positioning collar that would send emails with its location.

He says when the bear died the collar started emitting what is called the mortality signal. It showed the bear had had not moved in eight to 10 hours. Young says wildlife officers found the bear dead.

Killing a protected black bear carries a maximum fine of $50,000 fine and a year in jail.