Louisiana Black Bear no longer considered endangered

The Louisiana black bear could soon be removed from the list of endangered animals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is on the verge of formally initiating the process which takes about a year to complete.

The animal had been added to the protected list in 1992 when its numbers had dwindled to a few hundred because of a reduction in their habitat. By working with private landowners and other stakeholders to restore the bears' environment and give subgroups the opportunity to mate, the population has been restored to up to a thousand.

Based on trends, the Louisiana black bear is expected to survive for at least the next 100 years. It has been estimated that approximately $2.4 million has been spent on this recovery effort through a mix of state and federal funds. The next step in the process for the wildlife service is to get input from the public in terms of data and potential threats the bear population could face.

Should removal from the list happen, the species would be able to be hunted under specific conditions.

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