A father and son are accused of slaughtering a female black bear and her two cubs as they rested in their den in April.
Andrew Renner, 41, and Owen Renner, 18, of Palmer, Alaska, face several felony and misdemeanor charges related to illegal hunting. It is against the law to shoot a black bear with cubs in Alaska.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers, which announced the charges on Monday, said the act was caught on a motion-activated camera set up inside the den to monitor the bears as part of a study being conducted by the US Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The camera produced both video and audio of the encounter.
“In this case numerous crimes, including felonies, are believed to have been committed,” trooper Col. Steve Smith said.
Smith said the truck and boat used to transport the Renners to and from the bears’ den have been seized.
The father and son were out skiing together on April 14 when they approached the inhabited den, troopers said in a statement.