A $5,000 reward is being offered in connection with a bear-poaching incident near Roche Lake south of Kamloops in which the dead bruin’s paws were cut off.
A resident in the area found the dead bear at the side of Roche Lake Road, with only its paws missing.
The Fur-Bearers, a non-partisan, charitable organization founded in 1953 to protect fur-bearing animals through conservation, advocacy, research and education, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and conviction of those responsible for the poaching incident. The organization can be contacted online at its website.
“Poaching has no place in British Columbia,” said Aaron Hofman, director of advocacy and policy for The Fur-Bearers.
“We are encouraging all residents who may have information, or may have witnessed unusual activity on Roche Lake Road on or before Thursday, Sept. 8, near Kamloops to contact investigators at the BC Conservation Officer Service.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277 or contact the agency online at https://forms.gov.bc.ca/environment/rapp/. Reports can be made anonymously.
On May 23, 2021, dozens of severed bear paws were found in the North Shuswap. The paws had been hacked off at the joint, most were declawed and some still had fur on them.
Bear paws (and other parts of the bruin, including bile and gallbladders) are sold internationally for high prices, with the animal parts used in food dishes and medicinal products, primarily in Asia.
