Exposing the Big Game

Forget Hunters' Feeble Rationalizations and Trust Your Gut Feelings: Making Sport of Killing Is Not Healthy Human Behavior

Exposing the Big Game

Investigation opened after decapitated bear found on Haida Gwaii beach

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/decapitated-bear-haida-gwaii-1.4248896

Another poached bear was discovered on the beach a month ago (WARNING: This story contains graphic imagery)

CBC News Posted: Aug 15, 2017 7:14 PM PT Last Updated: Aug 16, 2017 8:51 AM PT

A decapitated bear carcass was discovered on a beach near Sandspit this week.

A decapitated bear carcass was discovered on a beach near Sandspit this week. (Arlene Erlandson)

Conservation officers in Haida Gwaii are searching for the people responsible for killing and decapitating a black bear, then dumping it on a beach.

The headless carcass was discovered this week at the high tide line, just east of Sandspit, according to Sgt. Kyle Ackles of the Conservation Officer Service.

“The head was removed, but the rest of the bear was intact,” Ackles said. “My understanding is that it’d been there for a couple days.”

Photos of the decapitated bear have been posted on Facebook, prompting outrage from many commenters.

Decapitated bear

The bear was killed with a rifle shot. (Arlene Erlandson)

The bear was a large adult male, killed by a shot from a rifle. Ackles said he couldn’t be sure of the motive for the removal of the bear’s head, but he speculated that someone might have wanted to preserve the skull.

Ackles moved the carcass away from the community, so that it wouldn’t attract more hungry bears.

It’s not the first time in recent weeks that something like this has happened.

“About a month ago, I had another incident where a bear carcass was found on the beach. Nothing from that animal was harvested,” Ackles said.

In that case, the bear was washed away by the tide before it could be examined.

Ackles is asking anyone with information about either poaching incident to call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277, pointing out that the service’s resources are spread thin on Haida Gwaii.

“I do really depend on the public to report suspicious activity,” he said.

With files from George Baker

10 thoughts on “Investigation opened after decapitated bear found on Haida Gwaii beach

  1. It was done in protest because of the ending of the grizzly bear hunt I’ll bet. And yet, it is the environmentalists and wildlife protectors who get the bad-mouthing by the press and generally, because we go against the ‘normality’ of humans brutalizing wildlife and wild lands (and even each other in our ugly history). You can’t even say anything against a human killer without gasps of blasphemy! for offending the self-appointed demigod.

    Even with the shark dragging case, that kind of nebulous accusation was put out there. With no proof. Still waiting for anything to be done, or do they think interest will just fade away in time?

  2. More on the shark draggers.

    “A Change.org petition calling for charges against a group of Gulf Coast men who recorded themselves dragging a battered shark behind a speeding boat has collected more than a quarter- million signatures. Organizers plan to present the petition to local State Attorney Ed Brodsky on Monday, said spokesman A.J. Walton.”

    Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article168041477.html#storylink=cpy

    250,000 People Want Shark Draggers Charged

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