Published: June 04, 2008 11:32 pm      

Arrest made in black bear case

George County man could serve prison time

Roughly a week after a mature Black Bear was successfully trapped and removed from a wooded area in southwest Meridian, an arrest has been made in connection with the shooting death of another bear by a George County man.

Darryl Eubanks was taken into custody Tuesday by agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation officers with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks after an indictment was issued in his name. This announcement comes from U.S. Attorney General Dunn Lampton's Southern District office.

"It is important to all of us to protect endangered and threatened species such as the Black Bear in Mississippi," said Lampton in a prepared statement. "Our office will vigorously prosecute those who illegally kill Black Bears or any other protected animal."

Eubanks was indicted May 7, 2008 by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges Eubanks with the killing of the Black Bear in violation of the Endangered Species Act, transporting the Black Bear in violation of the Lacey Act, giving a false statement to federal agents during the investigation, and obstruction of justice for tampering with material witnesses in a federal investigation.

Eubanks was scheduled to appear Wednesday before US Magistrate Mike Parker in Hattiesburg for an arraignment. If convicted, Eubanks could be sentenced to one year in prison, fined $100,000 each for the killing of the bear and the transportation which allegedly occurred and an additional $250,000 for each count of giving a false statement and obstruction of justice.

In 1932, Black Bears were given statewide protection in Mississippi because they were less than 12 remaining in the state. Today it is estimated there are 40 to 50 Black Bears in the Magnolia State after crossing state lines from Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama which have growing Black Bear populations.

The Meridian Black Bear caught last week, a three-year old male that weighed almost 180 pounds, was to have a radio collar installed so wildlife biologists could track its movements.

As Meridian Star Outdoor Columnist Otha Barham recalled during the trapping last week, "It should be noted that black bears have almost certainly been coming and going in our local woodlands for many years."

Conservation officers in Clarke County have made casts of bear tracks in Clarke County that were made by a smaller bear than the one whose sign keeps showing up there. Also, more paw casts have been made of another, larger bear, known to have moved recently into Clarke County from Alabama. Further, a female bear with one cub was seen in Clarke County last year.