An interesting wildlife story from Collier County, Florida had an unfortunate ending last weekend. Wildlife officials euthanized a black bear that had sought refuge in a pond on private land due to its extensive injuries. Don Bartschi, the landowner, noticed the bear in the pond at different times over the course of several days, and then he realized there was something seriously wrong.
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Bartschi told local NBC2 News that he called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as soon as he realized the bear seemed to be nursing some injuries. Once officials coaxed the bear out of the pond, they realized its injuries were quite extensive. In fact, officials believe the bear had been shot and hit by a car before it found its way to Bartschi’s pond.
Wildlife officials decided to euthanize the animal to minimize its suffering. Bartschi told NBC2 that the loss of “Bob” the bear was tough on his family, since they’d grown attached to him while he hung out in their backyard pond.
See a local news report about the injured bear that hung out in a Florida pond here: