A man accused of taming as many as 26 bears guarding a marijuana grow-op in B.C.'s Kootenays has been charged under the provincial Wildlife Act.
About 15 docile bears were discovered during a police raid on a Christina Lake property in August. The animals were roaming around like friendly pets -- one even lounged on top of a police car.
Police suspected the animals were being used to guard the site, where they uncovered 2,300 marijuana plants.
Property owner Allen Wayne Piche has now been charged with one count of feeding dangerous wildlife for allegedly feeding dog food to the neighbourhood black bears, making them dependent on humans.
Conservation officers believe that more than two dozen bears were visiting Piche's property to be fed.
The charge carries a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to a year in jail for first-time offenders. A second offence could double those penalties.
Piche released a video after news of the raid spread, claiming that he's been feeding the bears for a decade, and denying that he had trained them to guard the marijuana plants.
He says he started by feeding a single old bear he sensed was looking to him for food, and the situation snowballed from there.
After the raid, authorities considered destroying the bears in the interest of public safety. They eventually agreed to let Piche continue feeding the animals on a reduced schedule until they go into hibernation.
Officials believe that most of the bears are now in hibernation for the winter. Piche will be required to fence his property off to stop them from returning, and if the bears behave, they will be left alone.
Piche is scheduled to appear in Grand Forks provincial court on Dec. 14.
The RCMP have recommended charges of cultivating and possessing marijuana in connection to the grow operation, but those have yet to be approved.
