Stop plan to euthanize Yellowstone mother grizzly that killed hiker

Biologists in Yellowstone National Park have captured a female grizzly bear and one of her cubs, and if her DNA links her to the death of a hiker she may be euthanized and her cub will likely be sent to a zoo, officials say. The hiker was off trail and was not carrying bear spray, as is highly recommended. We can assume a mother bear with cubs is in a highly protective mode. We think a death sentence is far too severe a reaction to an incident where a mother may have behaved instinctively to protect her offspring. In fact, we think ANY sentence on this wild animal living in the wilderness who attacked what she may have perceived as a threat to her cubs would be too severe. A death sentence is something that should be imposed on, say, another human being killing this hiker for the sake of killing. (Even then, of course, the killer would probably live to a ripe old age filing appeal after appeal from prison!) Let the mother bear and her cub go! Return them to the wilderness and let this be a lesson and warning to Yellowstone visitors that the park is, first and foremost, a place to conserve wildlife, and let them live in their natural state, and that it is not a zoo where the visitor is guaranteed safety.