Two Vancouver Island men who posted up a video of themselves feeding black bears near Kennedy on Hwy. 4 have been fined $345 each.
According to Port Alberni conservation officer Dan Eichstadter, the conservation officer service has been investigating the incident since it occurred on April 30 near Kennedy Lake.
“They received a violation ticket for intentionally feeding dangerous wildlife,” said Eichstadter.
According to Eichstadter, people feeding wildlife has become more and more common with the rise of social media. “We’re seeing it all the more now with social media,” he said.
Feeding bears is dangerous for both the animal and the person, Eichstadter added.
“The bears start to lose their natural fear of humans. They start to approach vehicles and could potentially get hit.”
According to Chris Doyle, deputy chief of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, that can lead to the animals being destroyed by the COS.
“Once the bear has been fed by people it will have an association of people and food, so it can lead to further conflict,” Doyle said. “If they become dangerous they may have to be destroyed.”
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