(HOWARD, Colo.) — A man from Howard, a small jurisdiction in Fremont County, has been arrested by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers after he allegedly killed a mama bear and her two cubs and dumped them near Salida.

According to CPW, wildlife officers originally responded after reports on social media and anonymous tips regarding an illegal poaching incident. CPW said the investigation led officers to obtain a search warrant for a home near Howard where they found evidence the bears had been shot there early on Monday, Sept. 25.

Officer discovered the three bears on Friday, Sept. 29, dumped on state trust land southeast of Salida.

CPW said officers executed a search warrant and took 52-year-old Paul Stromberg into custody on assorted wildlife charges, including a felony count of illegal destruction of wildlife and several misdemeanors, including unlawful killing of wildlife without a license, unlawful possession and waste of game meat.

Stromberg was taken to the Fremont County Jail and was later released on a $10,000 bond pending formal charges.

CPW warned the community that anyone illegally injuring or killing wildlife could face misdemeanor charges including harassment of wildlife, hunting big game without a license, illegal taking of wildlife and reckless endangerment, among other charges.

Convictions could result in fines and surcharges ranging from $750 to $13,000 and up to 6 months in jail, depending on the charge.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact CPW at its Salida office at 719-530-5520. To provide information anonymously about a wildlife violation, the public can contact Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648, by dialing #OGT from a Verizon cellphone, or by email at [email protected]. 

Rewards are available if the information leads to an arrest or citation.