Sunshine Coast man fined $900 after letting bear family feast on grain
A man living on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast has been fined $900 after letting a family of bears feast on a pile of grain outside his home.
The incident happened in April 2020, but only recently made its way through the court process, resulting in a stiff fine for attracting dangerous wildlife to a premises.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said it was alerted the what happened by social media images showing a bear and cub mowing down on a significant quantity of grain that was spread on the ground.
Const. Leyland Klassen told CTV News some of the grain was in a pot that the bears apparently knocked over, but that there was an additional pile of grain left unprotected nearby. It's unclear why the attractants were left outside.
"The fact of the matter was the grain was out there," Klassen said, adding that the resident also failed to respond appropriately after the bears began feeding.
"It basically elevated beyond regular carelessness because there was no action taken after the fact to try and rectify the problem. It was left out essentially all day long."
The constable suggested the man responsible may have taken the position that "they're cleaning it up for me, so why would I stop them?"
Conservation officers were already on the alert because a family of bears had recently approached two children in a local backyard. Klassen said it's impossible to know for sure, but they believe the same bears were involved in both incidents.
There were additional bear conflicts in the area after the grain feeding frenzy, but the animals eventually left Sechelt on their own before becoming too habituated to humans.
Klassen said it could have gone much worse, as "leaving grain out like that is going to start a bear down the wrong path."
"At the end of the day, bears are looking for food, which is their natural behaviour. The ball is in the public's court to keep non-natural food away from them so they go for the natural stuff," he said.
People living near bear habitats should always manage their attractants, Klassen said. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service asked anyone who spots a property with unprotected attractants lying out to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
Tips on how to respond after encountering a bear are available on the B.C. government's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.