A frustrated conservation officer fired back at criticism from a local resident about the shooting of six bears in the Lac la Hache area recently, while aiming his own disapproval at people not doing their part to keep bears and other dangerous wildlife away from residential areas year after year.
“We attempted to educate the public there by going around and telling people to secure their attractants,” says James Zucchelli, a conservation officer in 100 Mile House. “Unfortunately, the message didn't get through.
“The message is: We're not the ones killing the bears. It's the people and the lack of responsibility with their attractants that's killing the bears.”
Gary Young, a resident of the Emerald Crescent area north of Lac la Hache where one boar, two sows and three cubs were dispatched in three separate incidents, the latest on Sept. 10, says he and fellow residents are “absolutely [peeved]” about the killings and upset at the neighbours who notified the conservation officers (COs) to the presence of the animals.
“We've never had a problem,” Young says. “Every once in a while, in the spring or in the fall, the bears come by, but they don't do anything.
“They don't charge anybody or harm dogs or anything. And yet these people call up the conservation officers so they can be killed. I think it's just appalling.”
Young says he knows of effective ways of deterring bears, such as using a fire extinguisher to scare them off, which is more humane.
“The bears do no harm. And, of course, what do conservation officers do in opposition to their name of 'conservation'? They kill everything.
“No one has had any harm or incident with them. I'm sick of it and the neighbours here are too.”
Zucchelli, whose career in the field spans 16 years, says the criticism they get is the same every year.
He reiterates COs take no pleasure in killing bears, and faults the people leaving garbage out, not regularly picking their fruit trees, and those not actively trying to deter the bears from their property.
“It's a very dangerous situation. We're discharging high-powered rifles in close proximity to residences.... We can't sit back and wait until somebody gets hurt.
“We're just the mechanism in place to ensure public safety, which is our mandate.”
Even with the recent flurry of action in the Lac la Hache area, Zucchelli says the biggest problem this season is in 108 Mile Ranch, which he says is “out of control with bears” because people are still leaving their garbage out the night before it's picked up.
“It has to be put out the day [it's picked up]. The garbage cannot be accessible at all – period.”
Zucchelli adds the COs can fine people under the Wildlife Act for leaving attractants out.
“We're going to start to come down harder on people who are leaving attractants out. We have no other choice. We're going to start fining people.”
Zucchelli encourages people to call 1-877-952-7277 if a dangerous wild animal is accessing non-natural food sources on their property.