On the night of August 30, 2025, in a residential neighborhood of Eureka, California, a mother black bear and her cub were illegally shot and killed—the mother with a high-powered rifle, the cub with a .22 caliber firearm.

The shooting happened just yards from people’s homes.

Worse still, by the time wildlife officers returned to recover the bodies, witnesses say the remains had been taken away in a red pickup truck. The suspects are still at large, and the bears’ bodies have not been recovered.

This wasn’t hunting. This was poaching in a neighborhood, and it must be treated as the serious wildlife crime it is.

We, the undersigned, call on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, and state lawmakers to:

• Fully investigate the killings of the mother bear and cub, including identifying and prosecuting those responsible
• Elevate illegal wildlife killings involving protected species to felony charges when committed in residential or non-hunting zones
• Increase funding and resources for wildlife enforcement, including surveillance, forensic support, and inter-agency coordination
• Launch a public awareness campaign in Northern California to report wildlife crime and protect native species.

This wasn’t just a tragic loss of two animals. It was a deliberate, illegal act of violence, carried out near family homes—and it’s part of a growing trend of organized wildlife crime in the U.S.

Sign this petition to demand justice for the bears—and to help protect all wildlife from poaching, cruelty, and careless killing.