Case Still Open On 11/02 Poaching Of Island Park Grizzly Bears. $8K Reward Still Availab

CASE STILL OPEN ON 11/02 POACHING OF GRIZZLY BEARS IN ISLAND PARK. $8,000 REWARD FUND STILL AVAILABLE! ISLAND PARK - Even though the snows of two winters have come and gone from the slopes of Sawtell Peak in Island Park, investigators are still following the criminal trail of whoever killed a sow grizzly and her yearly cub back in November of 2002. While the physical trail has cooled, the emotions stirred up by such a heinous act still remain hot and the wildlife advocacy groups that originally came forward and joined together to offer a $8,000 reward remain as passionate as ever! The illegal killing of this female grizzly bear and her cub brought together a variety of groups that share a common concern for wildlife. According to Minette Johnson of The Defenders of Wildlife, "We are hopeful that someone will have the integrity to come forward and right this wrong. The groups remain committed to offering a substantial reward of $8,000 to find whomever killed these bears." Chris Servheen, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) stated, "The Defenders of Wildlife, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Idaho Conservation League, Safari Club International, East Idaho Group of the Sierra Club, as well as a private individual, have all pitched in to create this reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the killing of these grizzly bears." The USFWS is the agency taking charge of the actual investigation because of the grizzly bears' status as a federally threatened species. The Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) are assisting where possible. Individuals with any information about this incident should call IDFG's Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) Hotline at 1-800-632-5999. Callers can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the refund.