Big reward offered in bear poaching/desecrating case in Buncombe County

USFWS, NCWF put up $20,000 in reward money for information

A reward of $20,000 has been offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and N.C. Wildlife Federation for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed and desecrated a black bear this past week in Buncombe County.

The USFWS’s portion of the reward is $3,000; the NCWF added $17,000 to the fund this week.

The bear carcass was found along a Buncombe County road this past week. “WHATS BRUIN” was marked with white paint across its head, and “W-H-A-T-S” was written across the claws of its right paw and “B-R-U-I-H” across the claws of its left paw.

Coincidentally or not, the state announced convictions, fines and jail terms for a handful of defendants in Haywood County earlier this month as part of a law-enforcement initiative called “Operation Something Bruin.”

“We feel strongly that this malicious and cowardly act of illegal activity has no place in NC,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of the NCWF. “We are upping the ante to hopefully entice anyone with information to come forth. We are providing these resources to underscore the seriousness we place on the poaching and outright desecration of this animal.

“We hope the investigation yields results and that the message is crystal clear: poaching, destroying wildlife in any ways, especially cowardly acts of wanton waste in North Carolina, will not be tolerated,” says Gestwicki. “We condemn in full any illegal wildlife violations and remain resolved to assisting state and federal agencies in upholding the regulations and guiding principles of fish and wildlife management.”

In February 2013, state and federal wildlife officials announced the arrests from the four-year undercover investigation in North Carolina and Georgia.  Ten defendants were convicted earlier this month in U.S. District Court for federal charges stemming from the undercover investigation.

Operation Something Bruin involved law enforcement from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.

“We are committed to pursuing all leads as we continue this investigation,” said Col. Dale Caveny of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Law Enforcement.  “We hope that this significant addition to the reward fund will prompt someone to come forward with additional information that will help us bring criminal charges in this case.”