Grizzly dumped in B.C. waters with car batteries
VANCOUVER — A gruesome discovery awaits the B.C. Conservation Officer Service near a small island off B.C.’s central coast.
Officers were told by a witness last week that staff at the Lagoon Cove Marina on Cracroft Island had shot a young grizzly bear, dragged its carcass down to a boat, tied a few car batteries around its neck and threw it overboard.
Baden Cross, a researcher with the Valhalla Wilderness Society who is often contracted by the government to map bear-human conflict zones, was canoeing with his wife nearby when he heard the shot fired at the marina.
“We heard a loud bang that sounded like a high-powered rifle, and about 20 minutes later we saw a small crowd of people up on this little golf green,” said Cross. “A couple minutes later we saw a tractor dragging the bear down to the water and they tied a cord around its neck.
“We asked the driver of the tractor right away why it was shot, and he said it was shot because it was on his property.”
He said a female employee later explained to him that although the two- to three-year-old grizzly had not been causing any problems, it had been hanging around, and the staff were concerned because there were children and dogs staying at the resort.
“They should have called a conservation officer immediately and have them come out and assess the situation and let them deal with it,” said Cross.
The owners of the marina could not be reached for comment.
A Ministry of Environment spokeswoman said the Conservation Officer Service is investigating the matter, and that the bear’s killers could be charged under the Wildlife Act for destroying the animal, as well as under the Fisheries Act for dumping the batteries.
Source: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4ae24ef2-62d7-424a-87e5-f1b15c83ca57
Tags: British Columbia News, car batteries, dumped, Grizzly Bear, ocean, sea, waters