B.C. conservation officers are investigating YouTube video of a moose being chased down a backcountry road by two people on an ATV.
The footage, which was uploaded in October 2014, shows the animal galloping away from the vehicle for almost two full minutes before the driver finally passes by.
During the chase, the people on the ATV can be heard squealing with delight – but conservation officer Dave Webster said it’s no laughing matter.
“The cow was obviously very stressed,” Webster said. “The vehicle was pursuing it at a high rate of speed, to the point where the animal was panicked. It wasn’t too pleasant to watch.”
According to the YouTube post, which has been pulled offline, the video was taken during a hunting trip in Greenwood, a small community located west of Grand Forks in the B.C. Interior.
Under the province’s Wildlife Act, harassing animals with a vehicle is an offence, and Webster said what he saw in the video is a “clear-cut” case of harassment.
Offenders can face a $345 fine or, if the issue is taken to court, a potential penalty of up to $100,000.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said incidents such as these present a good learning opportunity for the general public.
“I get the sense that the people involved in this didn’t realize they were doing anything wrong,” Webster said. “We just want people to be aware that when they do something like this, those actions have consequences.”
