Hope the Bear is Missing in Northeastern Minnesota [VIDEO]

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - A black bear named Hope who was born in front of an Internet audience is missing in northeastern Minnesota.

Hope is part of long-term study of black bears at the North American Bear Center near Ely.

Biologist Lynn Rogers tells the Duluth News Tribune that Hope has been missing since Wednesday, and circumstances lead him to believe a hunter shot her.

Hope's mother, Lily, developed a following when a camera in her den captured Hope's birth in January 2010. Lily's Facebook page has more than 132,000 followers.

Rogers say Lily began visiting a hunter's bait and then Hope disappeared. A Facebook update indicates the hunter has been in touch through email but has not mentioned Hope.  The Wildlife Research Institute updated visitors on its website today saying things do not look good for Hope and that she may have been shot.

Hope keeps removing a radio collar that indicates she's used in research.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

And here's video of Lily giving birth to Hope and Faith in January 2010.  (Turn your speaker's down -- loud hum in the video.)