No Criminal Charges Filed Against Florida Man Who Shot Bear

Last month, a Florida man shot a black bear near his home in Shalimar. Although there are no legal means of killing a bear in Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission makes recommendations on whether the person should be charged. In this case, the bear reportedly lunged at the man popped her teeth.

A report from the commission says the 52-year-old man thought she was going to attack and shot her to defend himself, not intending to kill the mother bear. The report also states that the man was unsure who to call to report the incident, so he called his neighbor, an Okaloosa County Commissioner. The neighbor called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to report a bear in the area, and the man called the agency the next morning to report the shooting.

Although some local conservationists have criticized the man for killing the bear, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has recommended against criminal charges for the man.

Source: 7:00 P.M. UPDATE: Man who shot mother bear won’t be charged (REPORT), NWFDailyNews.com, December 8, 2009
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