Man accused of killing 4 bear cubs faces illegal hunting charges in New Jersey
A man is facing charges for illegal hunting in New Jersey, after he allegedly shot and killed four bear cubs in Ringwood State Park this week, CBS New York reported.
Matthew Ligus, 22, was charged after a hiker reportedly discovered three of the bear cubs dead while visiting the park, according to ABC7. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers reportedly found the fourth cub nearby when they responded to the hiker's report.
CBS News contacted the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for confirmation and additional comments and is awaiting a response.
As authorities investigated the incidents, they charged Ligus, a Ringwood resident, for hunting with a firearm without a license, hunting with an illegal weapon and ammunition, and hunting during a closed season, among other crimes, CBS New York reported. State wildlife officials have not released information about how the bears were killed.
The four cubs were killed as New Jersey backtracks on its short-lived bear hunting ban, which took effect last year and outlawed hunting the animals on state property. Although implementing the ban was a pillar of Gov. Phil Murphy's campaign during his first run for office in 2018, he signed off on the state Fish and Game Council's vote to reinstate bear hunting permissions this year, in response to what he called a "growing black bear population" in New Jersey.
In an announcement confirming the change, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife said officials decided to amend the ban in order "to control the black bear population and reduce the threat of dangerous encounters between bears and humans through regulated hunting and non-lethal management measures." A scheduled "hunt," where people can use guns and bows to shoot bears on both public and private property, is expected to take place in December and last for several days.
