B.C. wildlife group offers $1,000 reward after dead black bears found without paws

The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service says it is investigating after a the bodies of two black bears with their paws removed were found in a Fraser Valley river. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service says it is investigating after the bodies of two black bears with their paws removed were found in a Fraser Valley river.

B.C. wildlife group, The Fur-Bearers, says it's offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the apparent poaching of the bears that were left floating on the Harrison River.

The conservation service says in a statement that it received the report about the bear poaching on Oct. 5, but it can't provide further details as an investigation is ongoing.

A video provided by a fishing guide to Global BC shows the bears tied together and floating on the river with their paws and internal organs removed.

Lesley Fox, executive director of The Fur-Bearers, says in a statement that poaching has no place in B.C.

She says her group is encouraging people who have information, such as security or trail-camera footage, to contact investigators with the conservation service.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.