In the United States, a bear shot by a hunter falls from a tree and kills another hunter – Libération

Never sell the bear’s skin before killing it. Nor after, in this case. An unconventional hunting accident took place in green Lunenburg County, in the state of Virginia, in the eastern United States, on Wednesday December 11. Shot by a hunter while in a tree, a bear fell… and crashed into another hunter. The man, aged 58, died of his injuries on Friday, December 13, reports the CBS News site.

“Dad was doing what he loved most, bear hunting with me and some of his friends”wrote his son on Facebook, who was present at the time of the accident. The fifty-year-old was tracking the plantigrade with a group of hunters when the animal decided to climb a tree.

As the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reports, several of them then decided to move away. Persevering would indeed have pushed them into illegality because, in Virginia, it is prohibited “to maim, injure or dislodge a bear from a tree for the purpose to continue a hunt», underlines the American state government on its site. Despite everything, one of them chose to open fire. The targeted animal then fell on the victim.

Black bears weighing up to 220 kg

A member of the group immediately gave him first aid. Firefighters and emergency medical services were notified. And the man, then in serious condition, was taken to hospital. While his situation seemed to have stabilized in the first few days, he was transferred to another care facility where he eventually died.

On its website, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources reports that approximately 900,000 black bears live in North America. As adults, these mammals described as “shy and discreet” measure approximately 1.20 to 2.10 meters from nose to tail. Depending on the time of year, they weigh between 40 and 110 kg, or even between 50 and 220 kg for males. “The department is currently not looking for anyone responsible for this incident”department spokespersons told CBS News.