Bear Cub Saved From Fire Killed by Hunter

A tiny black bear cub plucked from a charred tree by firefighters last year was given a 50-50 chance of survival when his bandaged paws healed and he was released back into the wild in February.

On Friday, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials confirmed that a hunter legally killed the same male bear rescued from the Bitterroot National Forest.

Officials were notified that the bear had been shot in western Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. The bear’s identity was confirmed through ear tags attached to the animal before release last winter.