The Revelstoke RCMP killed a black bear on Aug. 13 at the request of Conservation Officer Matt Hall.
The bear had killed and was feeding on a donkey at the Selkirk Saddle Club, the owner reported the incident to the Conservation Office.
Hall said that by the time he called the owner back the bear had moved off, so he began planning to drive from Invermere and trap the bear.
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Once they attack livestock, that is a learned behaviour and we have no other choice but to dispatch the bear, Hall said. At that point the bear is a public safety issue.
Before he could begin the trip he got another call saying that the bear was back and feeding on the carcass, so Hall asked the RCMP to euthanize the bear for him.
He said that the RCMP confirmed that is was in fact the bear that killed the donkey, as they are territorial with their kills, and that the bear was killed humanely with one shot.
The Review reached out to the saddle club for comment but they declined.
Hall said that the best way to keep bears out of the city and incidents like this happening is for everyone to manage their attractants: pick their ripe fruit, not put garbage to the curb early, etc. For more information see Revelstoke Bear Aware.
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He also said that electric fences can be helpful to keep bears away in some cases.
To report a bear issue, or sighting call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. Hall encouraged people to call when they see a bear as well, as the officers like to keep track of a bear’s activity and potentially move it along before it becomes an issue.
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jocelyn.doll@revelstokereview.com
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