The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife charity based in British Columbia (BC), filed a formal policy and service complaint to the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) and the BC Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy regarding the killing of juvenile bear cubs. Following a freedom of information request, the organization found that from January to December 2021, BCCOS killed seventy-seven bear cubs. In the complaint, The Fur-Bearers raise concerns surrounding the discretion of Conservation Officers to kill bear cubs in incidents not related to public safety or poor cub health, as the Officers are not wildlife managers and non-lethal alternatives are available. The complaint calls for proper funding and third-party oversight of BCCOS. Read the news release and formal complaint here.
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