Letters to the Editor: Shooting a bear that has already been tranquilized is ‘an act of cruelty’

To the editor : I sometimes reread pieces in the Opinion section to be sure I’ve understood all the nuances or to grapple with a particular perspective on an issue, including my own. Until today, I don’t think I’ve ever read a news item twice. In fact, I was in such disbelief that I had to read it three times ( “Bear trouble in Sierra Madre: After the Eaton fire, home invasions rise sharply,” Aug. 1).

Authorities shot and killed a bear that had been tranquilized? The bear was not a threat to anyone while tranquilized. Yet, instead of trucking her farther into the wilds and releasing her, they found it necessary to kill her? To shoot a contained animal is an act of cruelty. If there were a legitimate reason to euthanize the bear, there are humane ways to put an animal down painlessly.