WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are posting $13,000 in cash rewards for information about the recent killings of two federally protected Louisiana black bears.

A hunter discovered a 225-pound adult female bear shot dead Monday in a privately owned wooded area between the Atchafalaya River and La. 1 in Pointe Coupee Parish.

Another Louisiana black bear was discovered dead in Avoyelles Parish on Nov. 27.

Killing an endangered mammal is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators convicted face fines of up to $25,000, six months in jail, and payment of $10,000 in restitution.