The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear a case about the authority of conservation officers to euthanize wildlife following the controversial death of an orphaned bear cub.
The high court refused Thursday to consider an appeal of a ruling that British Columbia conservation officers have discretion when destroying wild animals.
Tiana Jackson discovered the black bear cub in 2016 and called a rehabilitation centre in Smithers, B.C., that was willing to accept the animal.
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An officer from the provincial Conservation Officer Service examined the cub, decided it could not be rehabilitated and euthanized the animal.
The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals filed a complaint against the service on behalf of Jackson, arguing officers can kill wild animals only when they are likely to harm people, property, wildlife or habitat.
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Senior officials of the conservation service dismissed the complaint and the B.C. courts turned down subsequent appeals, prompting the association to take its case to the Supreme Court.
