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
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Here's what Trudeau says the upcoming federal budget will offer renters
The federal government will create a new 'Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights,' which would require landlords to disclose their properties' rental price history to prospective tenants.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.