The Louisiana black bear will be no longer on the threatened species list, as per a statement issued on Thursday by the United States Department of the Interior. The department also made it clear that the black bear in Louisiana will be soon delisted, but hunters shouldn’t expect a season anytime soon.

On Friday, the black bear species, also known as the main inspiration for the teddy bear, will be off from the government’s list of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The animal got a place in the list 24 years ago when officials noticed it was facing habitat loss. That time, the state had just 150 bears. Now, there are more than 500 black bears living in Louisiana and Mississippi.

“The recovery of the Louisiana black bear is an outstanding conservation accomplishment. The ESA's success in preventing extinction and recovering species is in large part due to the countless partnerships like these that it helps to foster”, said Dan Ashe of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The black bear species received a respected designation in the American culture when Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, didn’t shoot a bear trapped during a hunting trip.

Officials at the Department of the Interior said that current state of the bear population is the result of efforts by various US states, conservation groups, private landowners and government agencies. All of them worked together to save the animal’s habitat in the country, they added. They have successfully helped expand breeding populations.

US farmers have also played a key role in restoring the habitat of the Louisiana black bear, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. They used Farm Bill conservation programs to help the bear, he continued.