The Humane Society released a video on Thursday showing an Alaska father and son illegally killing a hibernating bear and her cubs. The poachers are seen celebrating after they kill the bear and her crying cubs in their den, saying, "They'll never be able to link us to this," and "We go where we want to kill shit." The video was captured by surveillance cameras set up by wildlife authorities to observe the bears. The poachers were also captured by the camera two days later when they returned to get rid of the cubs' bodies and destroy evidence. Read more: Should animals be given more rights? Drawing attention to rollback of protections Though killing bears is legal in many parts of Alaska, they are protected in that particular area. The men committed the crime in April 2018 and were convicted in January 2019. The father, Andrew Renner, was sentenced to three months in jail and was fined $9,000 (€8,020), as well as being ordered to forfeit property including his truck. Renner's hunting license was suspended for 10 years. The son, Owen Renner, received a suspended sentence and a two-year suspension of his hunting license. The Humane Society released the video on Thursday to draw attention to Trump administration efforts to roll back the protection of animals, saying, "This brutality could soon be the law of the land on national preserves in Alaska." Read more: French animal activists want more bears for the Pyrenees Every day, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. Sign up for the newsletter here.<doc-sep>Newly released video shows a father and son illegally shoot a hibernating black bear and her cubs on Alaska’s Esther Island. Andrew Renner and Owen Renner are seen in the video published by the US Humane Society after it was recorded by a hidden camera that was part of a research study. The video shows the men approaching the sleeping bears. The cubs are heard shrieking before Andrew Renner fires at them in the den at point-blank range. “They’ll never be able to link it to us,” Owen Renner says in the video after high-fiving his dad. “You and me don’t f**k around, we pretty much, we go where we want to kill s**t,” he added. Owen Renner is later seen shirtless posing with the dead bear as he holds up her claws for the camera. Andrew Renner, 41, and Owen Renner, 18, pleaded guilty to illegal bear poaching earlier this year. You can see the video below [WARNING: GRAPHIC]: VideoVideo related to watch: father & son shoot hibernating bear cubs in alaska 2019-03-28T15:08:29-04:00 Video Captured The Moment Andrew & Owen Renner Returned Days Later The secret camera recorded the Renners returning to the den two days later to collect the bodies of the cubs and the shell casings from their weapons. The two were later charged with illegal bear poaching and illegally transporting the bodies of the slain bear and cubs. Andrew Renner was also charged with falsifying documents that claimed he had shot the bear when it was actually his son. He also failed to say how many bears they had illegally killed. Andrew & Owen Renner Were Sentenced Earlier This Year Hunters Owen Renner and Andrew Renner were caught on video killing a black bear and her shrieking cubs in Alaska. The father and son were both convicted in the "egregious poaching case" and the elder Renner is headed to prison for 3 months, officials say: https://t.co/yi7sUluGIW — Heavy.com (@HeavySan) January 27, 2019 In January, Andrew Renner was sentenced to five months in jail with two months suspended after pleading guilty to poaching charges. He was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 and forfeit the 22-foot boat and trailer, 2012 GMC Sierra pickup truck, two rifles, two handguns, two sets of backcountry skis, and two iPhones that were all used in the crime. Andrew Renner’s hunting license was revoked for 10 years. Owen Renner was sentenced to suspended jail time and community service. His hunting license was suspended for two years. Both Renners were ordered to pay $1,800 in restitution. The Alaska Attorney General’s office said in a statement the video depicts the “most egregious bear cub poaching case this office has ever seen.” “What we saw is that there were two bear cubs that were completely defenseless and were shot at point-blank range,” said Assistant Attorney General Aaron Peterson, according to The Anchorage Daily News. READ NEXT: Owen Renner & Andrew Renner: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know<doc-sep>The prosecutor who convicted a father and son who shot and killed a hibernating black bear and her cubs, said he could not understand what was going through the men’s minds when they killed the animals. Earlier this year, Andrew Renner of Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced to three months in jail and barred from hunting for a decade, after pleading guilty to killing the animals on Esther Island, in Prince William Sound. His son, Owen Renner, 18, received a 30-day suspended sentence and was required to perform community service. The two men believed there was no way their actions would be discovered. But a video camera set up by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the US Forest Service as part of study, and located opposite the tree where the bears were hibernating, captured their actions and statements. This week, video of the incident was released the the Humane Society of the United States, to global outcry. It showed the men shouting at the bear and its cubs, as the youngsters shrieked in terror. Assistant attorney general Aaron Peterson, who prosecuted the case, said it was the most egregious case of poaching of bear cubs he had ever dealt with. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona.<doc-sep>Video footage has been released of a deeply disturbing incident in which a father and his son illegally shot and killed a hibernating black bear and her cubs, and bragged about getting away with their crime. In the footage, the cubs can be heard shrieking in terror. Earlier this year, Andrew Renner of Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced to three months in jail and barred from hunting for a decade, after pleading guilty to poaching charges. His son, Owen Renner, 18, received a 30-day suspended sentence and was required to perform community service. This week, activists released video footage that unbeknown to the two men filmed them in their deed. The cameras had been installed as part of a study by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the US Forest Service. Instead, the camera captured the two men killing the bear and her cubs and later covering up their actions. “The video starts out with the father-son duo on skis spotting a mother bear hibernating in a tree hollow on Esther Island, in Prince William Sound,” the Humane Society of the United States wrote in a blog accompanying the video. Wildlife photographer of the year Show all 26 1 /26 Wildlife photographer of the year Wildlife photographer of the year A polar bear's struggle - Highly Commended Justin’s whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter's camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food. Justin Hofman / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Curious Encounter - Shortlisted Cristobal Serrano, Spain. Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive. Cristobal Serrano / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Bond of brothers - Winner David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK. These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.The picture was taken in Ndutu, Serengeti, Tanzania. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Fox meets fox - Highly Commended Matthew Maran, UK. Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off. Matthew Maran / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Three Kings - Highly Commended Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa. Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviour –the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off. Wim Van Den Heever / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year One toy, three dogs - Highly Commended Bence Mate, Hungary. While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa –they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions! Bence Mate / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Clam Close-up - Shortlisted David Barrio, Spain. This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut! David Barrio / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Orphaned Beaver - Shortlisted Suzi Eszterhas, United States. A one-month-old orphaned North American beaver kit is held by a caretaker at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Arlington, Washington. Luckily it was paired with a female beaver who took on the role of mother and they were later released into the wild. Suzi Eszterhas / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Ice and Water - Shortlisted Audun Lie Dahl, Norway. The Bråsvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective Audun Lie Dahl / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Teenager - Shortlisted Franco Banfi, Switzerland. Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Resting Mountain Gorilla - Shortlisted David Lloyd. The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, whenhe came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Painted Waterfall - Shorltisted Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain. When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture. Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Extraction - Shortlisted Konstantin Shatenev, Russia. Every winter, hundreds of Steller's sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan.<doc-sep>
Video footage of an Alaskan father and son poaching and killing a hibernating mother bear and her two cubs in their den on Esther Island in Prince William Sound last April has been released to the public through the Humane Society. Andrew and Owen Renner, who were fined and sentenced to three months in jail, thought they would escape punishment but their actions were being caught on camera, as the mother bear and her cubs were being filmed as part of a study by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Forest Service. In the disturbing clip, which has since been viewed 140,000 times on Facebook, Owen, 18, and Andrew, 41, can be seen shooting into the den at the base of the tree, killing the mother bear before her shrieking cubs meet their untimely death. “Would you look at that,” the father said in amazement, after he and his son pulled the adult bear’s body out of the den. The two men then high-five over the bear’s dead body. CROCODILE CHASES FISHERMEN AWAY FROM THEIR CATCH, SENDS THEM RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES WARNING: Video footage contains graphic content of the bears being killed and transported from the scene, as well as graphic language. “They’ll never be able to link it to us, I don’t think,” Owen agreed, before posing for a photo with their catch. The footage continues to detail the Renners returning to the scene of the crime two days later, picking up their shell casings and disposing of the dead bear cubs, as per the Humane Society. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS “Although legal in some areas of Alaska, the killing of cubs, or a mother bear with her cubs, is illegal in this part of the state,” the video reads. Months later, in court, Assistant Attorney General Aaron Peterson said that the scene was the "most egregious bear cub poaching case his office has ever seen." “What we saw is that there were two bear cubs that were completely defenseless and were shot at point-blank range,” Peterson said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Andrew was ultimately sentenced to three months in jail, while Owen received 30 days of suspended time for the offense. Each was ordered to pay $1,800 in restitution, with the elder Renner owing an additional $9,000 fine, the Anchorage Daily News reported at the time. The elder Renner was convicted of eight counts related to the illegal killing and transporting of the bears, and the falsifying of the sealing certificate. His hunting license has been revoked for 10 years, while his son's license has been suspended for two years, as per the Daily News. Fox News’ Amy Lieu and the Associated Press contributed to this report.