Charges Filed Against Man Accused Of Stealing Stuffed Polar Bear

Charges were filed against the man accused of stealing a taxidermied polar bear.

The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office has charged Bryan Adair with a felony and two misdemeanors.

The bear was legally harvested in Hope, Alaska in 1969 by Bill Gilstrap and kept on display in a hangar at the airport.

Records say, when the owner died, Adair stole the mounted bear from the hangar and put it in his.

8/4/2016 Related Story: Game Wardens Confiscate Stuffed Polar Bear At Jones Airport

According to records, Nancy Gilstrap, who became the owner, made several calls to Adair about the bear, but he refused to return it and, instead, demanded money from Gilstrap.

Game wardens confiscated the bear August 4th and said Adair didn’t have the required permits to own a mounted polar bear.

The DA’s office charged Adair with felony larceny of lost property, misdemeanor possession of endangered species and misdemeanor possession of prohibited wildlife.

Polar Bear mounts are very rare and the wardens estimate it is worth about $50,000.