A Granby, Connecticut homeowner has been charged after he shot and killed a bear he said was attacking his livestock Friday evening, according to WVIT-TV and WFSB-TV.
Police: Bear broke into pen, chickens killed
Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said the homeowner phoned authorities to report he had killed a bear, WVIT-TV reported. Responding officers found the shooting began after a bear broke into an animal pen and started killing chickens, according to the station.
The homeowner also told officers he suspected a bear had killed some of his goats last month, WVIT-TV reported.
Homeowner identified; court next month
WFSB-TV identified the man as Michael Gero, 39, and reported he was charged in connection with the shooting. WFSB-TV said Gero is due to appear in court next month.
WFSB-TV also highlighted the debate this case raises, posting on Facebook: “Should property owners be allowed to defend their animals against wildlife?”
Separate case: rabid bobcat shot in Arizona
About a month earlier, an Arizona homeowner shot and killed a bobcat after it entered his backyard, attacked his dog, and then charged his wife, according to the same report. The homeowner was not charged.
Arizona Game and Fish Department spokeswoman Alexandra Flickinger said officials took the animal’s body for laboratory testing and “the results did come back positive” for rabies.
