$1,150 reward offered after research bobcat illegally killed in Tucson, wildlife official say

TUCSON, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Arizona wildlife officials are asking for the public’s help in finding the person (or people) responsible for killing a bobcat that was being used for a research project

According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the bobcat was killed on the morning of Sept. 28 between Whispering Bell Drive and Painted Hills Road in Tucson. Officials say the animal was being used to study how wildlife interacts with the urban community on the city’s west side.

A Reward Is Being Offered Of Up to $1,150 in The Tucson Killing of Research Project Bobcat
A Reward Is Being Offered Of Up to $1,150 in The Tucson Killing of Research Project Bobcat(Arizona Game and Fish)

“This was the act of a criminal, a person without regard for one of the state’s most precious resources, its wildlife,” said Regional Supervisor Raul Vega of Game and Fish in Tucson. He says it was a project that was being funded in part by the agency’s Heritage Fund grant.

Now officials want answers and they are offering up to $1,150 for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline at 800-352-0700 and reference OGT #22-003130.

Officers warn that the crime for illegally taking wildlife is four months in jail and a possible $750 criminal fine. In some cases, civil penalties apply as well.

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