A Connecticut man is facing criminal charges after he shot and killed a black bear on his property in Granby on Friday night. Michael Gero, 39, called the state environmental emergency dispatch line himself to report the killing. The homeowner said the bear was attacking his livestock Friday night.

Gero told investigators he found the bear eating one of his chickens in his yard. He said he believed it was the same animal that had killed his goats last month. He told officers he acted to stop the attack on his birds.

He has been charged with using deadly force to kill a bear. Gero is scheduled to appear in court in Torrington on October 9. State environmental police investigated the case.

Under state law, black bears may be killed only in narrow circumstances. Defending livestock does not automatically count as legal justification.

Why it matters: the prosecution signals that wildlife protections hold even when homeowners say they were defending farm animals.