Marijuana-Guarding Bears Get a Chance to Mellow Out

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2010-09-01 09:33:00 UTC
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When the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided a grow-op near Christina Lake in British Columbia, they discovered at least 1,000 marijuana plants along with several black bears wandering among the weed.

It's unclear whether the property owners had been feeding the bears to guard their stash or just because they liked the animals, but the steady supply of dog food had made the bears dependent on people. They were so used to human contact, that they just minded their own business while officers snapped photos a few feet away and conducted their investigation.

While the scene was somewhat amusing, it also posed a serious problem: bears who hang around humans usually end up dead. The government received pleas from around the world to save the bears and, earlier this week, Environment Minister Barry Penner made what he calls one of the strangest decisions his ministry has ever had to make: the property owners have been ordered to continue feeding the bears dog food until winter.

Although it's illegal to feed bears, officials were concerned that letting the bears go hungry would likely cause more problems for their human neighbors. Relocation is expensive and doesn't always work, and there aren't any sanctuaries who can currently take in the 17 black bears. They didn't want to kill the animals either; after all, it was the property owner's fault that they were so acclimated to humans.

So, it's on the property owner's dime that this experimental plan will go into effect. The idea is that the bears will continue to get the food source they're used to, but a little bit less of it — both to wean them off it and because they've gotten a bit chunkier than they should be dining on handouts. In mid-November, the bears will go into hibernation.

The hope is that the natural cycle of a few months laying low will help reboot the bears' instincts and, when they come out of hibernation in the spring, they'll be ready to find their own food again, away from humans. Wildlife officials will monitor the situation to see if the bears are able to forget about the dog food, or if they need to go to a Plan B, which may not be the bear-friendly outcome everyone is hoping for.

Photo credit: dalliedee

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.

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