Colorado man charged after killing black bear mother, cubs: police

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A man in Colorado is facing felony charges after officials claim he intentionally killed a black bear and her cubs.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission officers arrested Paul Stromberg, 52, on charges of illegal destruction of wildlife, claiming he illegally killed the family of bears near his home in Howard.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers on Friday discovered three bears – a sow and two cubs – had been killed and dumped on state trust land southeast of Salida," CPW said in an official statement.

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Image shows mother black bear with cubs. A man in Howard, Colorado, is facing felony charges after allegedly shooting a mother and her cubs. Authorities claim social media posts and anonymous reports led them to an evidence search that discovered the bodies of the three bears. (W. Drew Senter, Longleaf Photography via Getty Images)

The search was launched "responding to reports on social media and anonymous tips of an alleged poaching incident."

Authorities claim they found evidence of the alleged poaching after executing a search and arrest warrant on his property.

The department explained, "The CPW investigation led Wildlife Officers to obtain a search warrant on Saturday for a home near Howard where they found evidence the bears had been shot there early on Monday, Sept. 25."

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Paul Stromberg, 52, was charged with illegal destruction of wildlife after authorities discovered the bodies of a mother black bear and her cubs near his home. (Fremont County Sheriff's Office)

Evidence allegedly included the bodies of the three poached bears.

Stromberg was taken to Fremont County Jail and later released on a $10,000 bond.

Black bears are protected by both federal and state regulations — especially cubs.

Black bears are protected by wildlife regulations on both state and federal levels, strictly limiting the hunting practices for the species. In Colorado, killing a black bear without a license can lead to felony or misdemeanor charges including destruction of wildlife, reckless endangerment, illegal taking of wildlife, and more.

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Unsanctioned hunting of the species carries a spectrum of penalties depending on jurisdiction and prosecuting authorities.

"Anyone illegally injuring or killing wildlife could face misdemeanor charges including harassment of wildlife, hunting big game without a license, illegal taking of wildlife and reckless endangerment among other charges," Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in their statement.