The Conservation Officer Service is appealing to the public for information in the illegal killing of a grizzly bear. The bear was relocated from Squamish in September 2020 and was found dead in the Squamish River earlier this month.
In a social media update, COS said it received a report from the public on Aug 10 about a grizzly bear that appeared to have been illegally killed and was found floating in the Squamish River. Upon investigation, a necropsy revealed that the grizzly bear had been shot and a rope was tied around it in effort to drag it into the river for disposal.
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Conservation Officers believe that the grizzly bear was shot sometime between August 7 and 9, 2023. The grizzly bear had a yellow ear tag and was known to frequent the area of the confluence of the Cheakamus River and the Squamish River.
The COS is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying offenders or information related to this investigation, which can be reported via the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. Callers can remain anonymous. There are reward programs available for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) responsible for this unlawful act.
“It is an offence under the Wildlife Act to kill a grizzly bear, as there is no open season to hunt grizzlies. It is also an offence to fail to report an accidental shooting or defensive shooting of wildlife. If found guilty, on a first conviction, an accused can be fined up to $100,000 or imprisoned for 1 year, or both,” COS says.
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