Conservation officers are still searching a month later after receiving numerous reports of a mother black bear with her foot caught in a trap north of Kitwanga.
Lorrie Carpentier spotted the bear and her cub near a rest area on the side of Highway 37 last week, and snapped some photos to show Conservation Officers. She was worried about the health of the bear, which appears to be a bit worse for wear in the photos she shared with the Interior News.
Conservation Officer Cam Schley said he has received several calls about the bear.
“We’re making an active effort to capture the bear,” he said. “We’ve gone up a few times to try to deal with it.”
Unfortunately, the bear seems fairly mobile despite the trap, and so far efforts to capture the bear and investigate its health have been unfruitful. He did note that observations from Carpentier and the other callers have shown the positive sign that at least the bear is feeding, and is still with her cub.
“It looks relatively healthy considering it has a trap on its leg, but obviously it’s in a lot of discomfort,” he said.
Part of the case will also involve finding out where the trap came from, as it was likely set after the trapping season ended.
“We are actively investigating where that trap came from,” he said.
Once the owner of the trap is found, the consequences could range anywhere from a warning to a ticket to a court appearance, depending on the circumstances, said Schley.
He also warned anyone travelling that stretch of road to take extra precautions if they see the bear, and to contact the Conservation office at 250-847-7266 to report any sightings.
“Obviously we don’t want people to approach any bear, but especially this bear,” said Schley.
