The bear wasn’t killed after the event, like we’d destroy a dog for fear of it doing it again – it was shot during a frenzied attack, as others have suggested: kill or be killed.
They’re beautiful yet terrible predators, and you don’t mess about when you’re in their habitat, much like tigers, lions, jaguars and many of the other figurehead endangered species. It’s a tragedy for all involved, but they knew what they were getting themselves into, which is why they were armed in the first place.
What sickens me isn’t the individual stories, but the casual disrespect shown for their environment by the oil companies intent on drilling in the Arctic. That’s got a far worse potential outcome for the bears than one death. Imagine the sight of one of those magnificent animals covered in oil.