Cinder, the black bear who rehabbed in Garden City after suffering major burns, killed by hunter

Cinder, a black bear who suffered severe burns in a 2014 fire in Washington state and was rehabilitated in Garden City at Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc., was found dead earlier this year, per reports.

According to the Methow Valley News and a Facebook post by the Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Cinder, who was released from rehabilitation in June 2015, was likely killed in October 2017 by a hunter. Cinder’s collar stopped transmitting that month, but the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife told the Idaho Black Bear Rehab that it believed she was “in a den.”

Workers with Fish and Game attempted to set up cameras in December 2017 to get pictures of Cinder but were unable to retrieve them until September 2018. Upon retrieving the cameras, Cinder’s skeleton was discovered. According to the Methow Valley News, Cinder was about 5 years old.

“Unfortunately, instead of finding a den, we found Cinder’s skeletal remains,” Rich Beausoleil of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife told the Methow Valley News. “It appears that she was killed in October 2017 by a hunter, who cut the collar, rendering it inoperable, and left it at the site.”

Cinder was discovered beneath a horse trailer in Methow Valley following a wildfire in 2014, according to previous Statesman reporting. Her paws were so badly burned that she could not walk on them, but instead dragged herself by her elbows.

Cinder was initially treated at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care in California before going to Idaho Black Bear Rehab. She was released back into Washington in June 2015.

This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 6:40 PM.