Woman Jailed For Approaching Grizzly And Her Cubs

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Woman Jailed For Approaching Grizzly And Her Cubs

October 8, 2021 Crime, Wildlife

From the Department of Justice:

Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that SAMANTHA R DEHRING, age 25 of Carol Stream, Illinois, pleaded guilty to willfully remaining, approaching, and photographing wildlife within 100 yards.

Dehring appeared in front of Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming on October 6, 2021, for her change of plea and sentencing hearing.

She was sentenced to four days in custody, one-year unsupervised probation, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, a $1,000 community service payment to Yellowstone Forever Wildlife Protection Fund, a $30 court processing fee and a $10 assessment. Dehring also received a one-year ban from Yellowstone National Park.

According to the violation notices, Dehring was at Roaring Mountain in Yellowstone National Park on May 10, 2021, when visitors noticed a sow grizzly and her three cubs. While other visitors slowly backed off and got into their vehicles, Dehring remained. She continued to take pictures as the sow bluff charged her.

“Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are, indeed, wild. The park is not a zoo where animals can be viewed within the safety of a fenced enclosure. They roam freely in their natural habitat and when threatened will react accordingly,” said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray.

“Approaching a sow grizzly with cubs is absolutely foolish. Here, pure luck is why Dehring is a criminal defendant and not a mauled tourist.”

[Sherman A1]

3. Yup,

Both she and they are getting off far too easy.

[hlthe2b]

2. Good. Some think "stupid, arrogant, harmful" conduct should not be criminalized. I disagree

[2naSalit]

4. Four days...

Her actions could have ended up getting that bear and her cubs killed. That's what happens to bears that beat up tourists because lawsuits.

That was probably a bear I watched for several years before she started bearing cubs. I have hundreds of photos and videos of her playing in the river and digging for ground squirrels. Somehow she tolerated crowds well.

This is how tourists behave in the park now, all the f'ing time. It makes being a park ranger about as much fun as being the waitstaff at a place where only karens come to dine. She was warned and still concern for her personal safety was a casualty to her judgement.


This is one of the reasons we can't have nice things.

[packman]

5. Don't you just hate these type of mandated laws

that are meant to protect you from harm? If the idiots want to be mauled, let them.