Dead bear with detached claws left abandoned on Chico public road, suspect still at large – KRCR

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by Ryan Matthey
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CHICO, Calif. — It was an unbearable sight for the South Chico neighborhood of Barber: a dead bear left on the side of the road.
Around 7:30 a.m., Thursday morning, Chico Animal Control and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) responded to reports of a 175-pound black bear lying lifeless on the side of Normal Avenue with its two front claws detached.

"We were just speechless," says Betty Rowland, a Barber resident.

Betty Rowland was one of the first to catch the sight right outside her door.
"As (CDFW) were loading the bear, I was standing right there and I was looking purposefully to see if there was some wounds, some blood trails, something," says Rowland. "I saw absolutely nothing. I saw no injury except to the paw."

CDFW says the animal likely died within 24 hours of being discarded next to the intersection of Normal Avenue and West 20th Street. Evidence shows a vehicle parked on a dirt pullout, dumped the bear on the ground, and dragged it up against a nearby fence.

A cause of death is still under investigation. No gunshot or arrow wounds were found according to CDFW, but slight trauma on the body leads them to believe it was hit by a car. That car crash, however, would not have happened where the body was found.
Neighbors say it's not unusual to see people drop trash, broken bikes, or even old couches along this particular stretch of road. But a dead bear: that's a first.

"Compared to the other things you've seen dumped here, where does the bear rank on that scale?" asks KRCR.

"Definitely the weirdest and most tragic," says Brenton Pharrell, a Barber resident who walks Normal Avenue every day.
"We have a dumping issue on this street because it's a county road. It's not very well lit… It's a dead end on both ends and there's just not really much policing going on on this street."

With no witnesses or front porch video of the crime (CDFW confirms taking parts of an animal, dead or alive, is unlawful), it's a challenge to track down a suspect. This is especially so as CDFW says declawing the bear is inconsistent with typical poacher behavior, rather than harvesting the more valuable parts like the gall bladder.

"What's a bear claw going to do for you?" asks Rowland. "What, are you going to make a necklace? You gonna put it on your wall? Yippee. Just shows how corrupt they are."
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the CDFW tip line at 1-888-334-2258.
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