Jasper was killed by a Washoe County sheriff’s deputy who thought he had loaded a rubber bullet. Photo/Provided

To the community,

Over the last few years I’ve been a strong and open critic of Nevada Department of Wildlife’s bear management program, and of those individuals that oversee that program. I feel those criticisms were highly justified, but that is not the theme of this letter. As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite.

On May 6 in Incline Village a very unfortunate indecent occurred that severely wounded and ultimately took the life of a matriarch of the Tahoe basin bear community, known to many as Jasper. This event could have been easily avoided by a better understanding of wildlife by both residents, and official entities that may be put in the unfamiliar position of having to deal with wildlife situations.

The actual point of my letter is to offer a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Peregrine Wolff, NDOW Director Tony Wasley, and all those at NDOW who went above and beyond to try and keep Jasper alive.

Toogee Sielsch, South Lake Tahoe