Another research bear shot in northern Minnesota

Post date: Sep 22, 2010 4:13:51 PM

By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune

Last update: September 22, 2010 - 9:08 AM

Another bear in northeast Minnesota has been killed, once again thrusting the private research center that tracks the region's black bears into the news.

The bear, named Cal, was shot by a hunter on Sept. 3, a few days before a bear named Sarah was killed. Both bears were wearing radio collars fitted by the Ely-based North American Bear Center.

It's not illegal to kill radio-collared black bears in Minnesota and officials of the research center posted a web post saying, "we're not blaming the hunter."

The bear center has repeatedly become newsworthy, most recently because its Internet followers named the nearby Bear Head Lake State Park "America's Favorite Park," which netted the state $100,000.

The campaign for the park was fueled by the celebrity of Lily, (Cal's sister) who was featured on a webcam early this year as she gave birth to a cub named Hope.

Publicity for the bear center spiked this summer when Hope wandered away from her mother and for a few days was feared to be lost, but they soon were reunited.

Writing about Cal Tuesday, the bear center's researchers wrote, "he was a good bear."

Here is the bear center's report about Cal.