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Trout Seized From Convicted Wildlife Poacher Fed To Bears At Tahoe Wildlife Rescue

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) – Some hungry animals being rehabilitated at a Lake Tahoe area rescue got to chow down on a special treat thanks to California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Officials say a Sacramento County man was charged with poaching trout from Antelope Lake in eastern Plumas County back in April. The legal limit is only five trout per day, but officers who caught him found he had 54.

The poached trout was seized and the man, 48-year-old Yaroslav Pugach, was eventually convicted.

Three bears, a handful of raccoons, and a bald eagle devoured evidence trout Tuesday as they brought a poaching case...

Posted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Per the court's orders, the poached trout was to be destroyed. Wildlife officers soon came up with a productive way they could get rid of the trout – by feeding it to a wildlife rescue.

Wildlife officers called up the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care organization, who they often partner with, and asked if they had any hungry bears. The rescue did, in fact, along with some raccoons and a bald eagle.

On Wednesday, the animals got to have a special dinner.

Pugach has been ordered to pay nearly $5,000 in fines and will be serving two years of probation, during which he is prohibited from fishing.

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