Sierra bear poachers face felony charges
By AP
Two men arrested in possession of bear claws and gall bladders will be arraigned in El Dorado County Superior Court on felony charges.
Warden Mark Michilizzi said that Peter Vitali and Arthur Blake were arrested April 20 in the Eldorado National Forest.
The two possessed 20 large bear claws and three bear gall bladders.
The investigation suggested the men recently had killed a mother bear and two cubs. All had their livers and gall bladders removed.
At the time bear season was closed.
The bile inside gall bladders is believed by some to have medicinal properties and is sold on the black market.
Under state law it’s a felony to sell, purchase or possess for sale any part of a bear.
The pair will be arraigned June 4.
HANG THEM TO THE FULLEST , There not welcome back here ,No one wants anyone that destroys a bear ,shame on them ,
The courts need to send a strong message — it is a felony. I hope you can post a followup article with the sentencing for this crime.
The actions of these two individuals’ ranks near the top of the most disgusting things I’ve heard in a long time. I doubt that this type of low regard for living creatures stops at animals and likely extends to every other part of these individuals’ lives. Lock these guys up and keep them incarcerated to prevent them from harming domestic and wild animals and people and let them experience what it’s like to be in close proximity with the real animals of society.
Reprehensible! Please prosecute to the full extent of the law. Imagine killing a mother bear and her two cubs then carving them up to make a few bucks.
these killers should have their fingernails pulled and their gall bladders removed without any pain medicine as punishment, oh ya, take away their guns too!!! Im sure the gun nuts will think that is too extreme… Better yet, turn them into a pen with some bears that are really hungry and let the bears work it out…
Put them a pit with hungry bears….