Search on for poacher who killed bear, dumped it off bridge

LAGRANGE, Maine (AP) — Authorities in Maine say someone illegally killed a bear and dumped it off a bridge, and they’re working with a nonprofit group to offer a reward to help find out who did it.

The Maine Warden Service received a complaint about the dead black bear in Lagrange on April 26. Their investigation found that the bear had been shot and dumped off the bridge.

Operation Game Thief, a private nonprofit that works with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to stop poaching, is offering a $4,000 reward in the case. The warden service said Friday that the group wants information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for killing the bear.

Maine is home to a bear hunt, but it is regulated by the state and takes place only in the late summer and fall. The black bear is also a symbol of the rural parts of the state and serves as the mascot of the University of Maine sports teams.