bear
A black bear scavenges for food beside tourists near the famous General Sherman tree at the Sequoia National Park, Central California, Oct. 10, 2009. MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

A bear found dead at the base of a tree last week in Castle Pines, Colorado, was killed by a resident after he thought the animal was trying to enter his house, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced in a news release Sunday.

According to authorities, the fatal shooting of the beast was determined to be legal as state laws allow residents to use lethal weapons to defend themselves if they believe that a wild animal threatened their lives. The body of the bear was discovered by another resident who also saw its cubs peering down at their mother from the branches above, the Denver Channel reported.

Two of the cubs were captured and taken to the Frisco Creek, a wildlife rehabilitation facility near Del Norte that is operated by CPW. A third cub, which was initially spotted near the dead bear, had disappeared from the site and was being searched for by the authorities. After being held through the winter, the cubs will be released into the wild.

“This is an unfortunate occurrence, and you never want to hear of a sow getting killed and cubs being orphaned,” CPW Northeast Region Manager Mark Leslie said in a statement, 9 News reported. “Review of the events, in this case, did not reveal any statutory violation with regards to the killing of the sow.”

Also, according to the law, the authorities were required to be informed within five days of the killing and proper protocol was followed in this case. The CPW received reports of the dead animal Friday evening and after investigation, they determined that the fatal shooting took place at 1 a.m. MDT (3 a.m. EDT), Thursday.

Leslie further warned the residents of the area to be wary of the presence of black bears in their surroundings, which might come looking for food sources.

“Black bears are an important native species in Colorado, and they are thriving,” Leslie said. “We have a lot of people living in good bear habitat now, and Castle Pines is one of many examples of that. Anywhere along the Front Range provides good bear habitat because they have everything they need to survive - food, shelter, and water. The food sources available to them are part of their natural diets, but they also are frequently lured into our neighborhoods by attractants that accompany humans like trash, bird feeders, pet food and the smells left from barbecue grills.”

Instead of trying to capture or approach a bear, the CPW advised people to report it by calling 303-297-1192​.

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