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The Louisiana black bear, which inspired the original teddy bear in the early 1900s, was taken off the Endangered Species List Thursday after 24 years of conservation efforts, US officials said.
According to Richard Rummel, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks acting Black Bear Program leader, the number of Louisiana black bears in Mississippi is a bit of a mystery.
“It could be between 100 and 200, possibly more,” Rummel said. “It’s really tough to get estimates.”
According to Rummel, animals with distinctive markings, such as a tigers, can be recognized as individuals by their markings. Bears, on the other hand, tend to look alike. Because of that, bears would have to be captured and tagged to keep up with the population, and Rummel said the resources to do that are currently not available.
What is clear is that their numbers and range are both increasing as sightings have been more frequent in recent years.
Although Mississippi does not have the numbers of bears that Louisiana does, Mississippi is intertwined with the history of the sub-species. In a 1902 hunt in Mississippi, then-President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a young bear that had been captured and restrained. As history has it, that ultimately led a Brooklyn candy store owner to create the “Teddy” bear.
While the Louisiana black bear population is no longer considered endangered, Rummel said the bears will continue to enjoy protection by Mississippi state law and if someone intentionally kills one, the consequences could be painful.
“It’s a Class 1 violation,” Rummel said. “It’s a $2,000 to $5,000 fine.”
Additionally, Rummel said a person convicted of killing a bear in Mississippi could face jail time, court costs and loss of hunting privileges for at least one year.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the populations of Louisiana black bears will continue to be monitored.
Agencies/Canadajournal
