Mexico: Brutal Torture and Slaying of Bear Cub Sparks Anger, Massive Backlash

Environmental officials in Mexico are looking into the slaying of a bear cub in a town in Coahuila state, where residents tortured the protected animal before killing it.

According to Mexico News Daily, some police officers seemed to be observing while the brutal slaying happened.

Reports said the bear cub, around four months old, entered the town of Castaños, where the locals beat it, tied its legs together, dragged it to the ground, and used a rope to choke it to death.

Photos posted on social media showed police officers looking at the scene, even smiling as the torture of the black bear cub happened.

The black bear is among the protected species in Mexico. The torture and killing of the animal have sparked anger from environmental authorities, particularly from the federal environmental protection agency, Profepa.

Mexico's Environmental Protection Agency on the Killing of the Bear Cub

Profepa said it was preparing a criminal complaint against those involved in the torture and killing of the bear cub.

The federal environmental protection agency noted that those involved in the incident could face jail time and fines, saying that the agency is committed to the protection of wildlife.

High-profile conservationist Arturo Islas noted that the bear cub was treated "worse than the cruelest criminal" in the town of Castaños. He added that the bear cub's only crime was entering the town to look for some water.

State governor Miguel Riquelme likened the black bear to a "living symbol of conservation in Coahuila" while also condemning its torture, according to Alarabiya.

Islas urged Riquelme and Profepa to act immediately on the incident. In a Facebook post, the environmental activist also said that the perpetrators engaged in a federal crime.

He also called out the police being present and doing nothing "more than a smile" and enjoying the killing of the protected animal "as if it was a circus event."

Riquelme noted that the Attorney General's Office was also investigating the incident and will seek to charge those responsible for mistreating the animal.

Black Bear Cubs in Mexico

Mexican black bears have been recorded in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Durango, and Zacatecas.

Bear Conservation noted it is presumed that the species of these bears have come from the Nuevo Leon population.

It is believed that the life span of these black bears can be around 20 years in the wild. It can also survive through the consumption of nuts, berries, acorns, sotol, yucca, roots, insects, and small mammals.

Its mating season usually occurs in June and July, with birth taking place in January or February in the winter den.

Mexican black bears do not hibernate due to the relatively mild climate and availability of food. However, they will go to and from winter dens or nests for three or four months between mid-December and mid-April.

Black bear cubs in Mexico usually remain with their mother for about 18 months. During this time, the mother will not become pregnant again.

Mexican black bears have been widely affected by habitat loss, poaching, and the illegal trade of their body parts and skins.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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