Latest news with #ConservationOfficers
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Parts of Whistler Mountain Bike Park closed due to ‘aggressive cougar activity'
Sections of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park were closed Saturday after reports of 'aggressive cougar activity' in the area, officials say. A spokesperson for B.C.'s Environment Ministry told CTV News conservation officers are investigating two incidents involving one or more cougars around 7 p.m. Friday. 'In one incident, a mountain biker was approached by a cougar,' a statement reads. 'The cougar disengaged when other bikers arrived but stayed in the area.' In the second incident, a cougar reportedly chased a mountain biker for about 350 metres. He threw rocks at the animal, and it also remained in the area. There were no injuries, according to officials. Conservation officers searched the area but didn't find any cougars. The Creekside and Garbanzo zones closed to bikers Saturday and will remain so 'until further notice,' the Resort Municipality of Whistler said. Cougar conflicts or aggressive behaviour can be reported to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277. Advice on what to do during a cougar encounter can be found on the WildSafeBC website.
CTV News
17 hours ago
- CTV News
Two people from Ayr and one person from Paris fined a combined $10K for illegal hunting
An Ontario Conservation Office truck is seen in this undated file image. (Submitted: Government of Ontario) Three people are facing hefty fines for illegal hunting. In a news release, the provincial government said two people from Ayr and one person from Paris pleaded guilty to hunting migratory birds within 400 metres of where bait had been deposited. One of the Ayr residents also pleaded guilty to killing more than the daily bag limit of ducks. In total, the trio was fined $10,500 and they are now prohibited from applying for a migratory game bird hunting permit for one year. The penalties stem from an investigation on Sept. 19, 2024. Conservation officers were conducting inspections in the Wrigley Road area in the Region of Waterloo. The officers said they found submerged oats in a pond. When officers went back to the area on Sept. 28, they found the three people at a nearby pond. Investigators said they were hunting ducks where the oats had been submerged, and one person had harvested more ducks than allowed by his daily bag limit. The ducks were seized and forfeited.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- CTV News
Police kill bear that attacked Maple Ridge woman, search ongoing for orphaned cubs
In this Saturday, June 14, 2014 photo, a mother black bear wanders with her two spring cubs near the parking garage along Alumni Drive in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Bob Hallinen) Mounties in Maple Ridge killed a bear after it attacked a woman in her backyard Thursday night, officials confirmed. According to the Ministry of Environment, the black bear swiped the victim on the side of the head. She was treated in hospital, but police described her injuries as minor. 'RCMP destroyed the suspected offending bear – a sow with two cubs,' the ministry wrote in a statement to CTV News. Conservation officers were sent to the area early Friday morning, and are still searching for the orphaned cubs on foot, in vehicles, and in the air with drones. The ministry asked anyone who sees the bear cubs to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters line at 1-877-952-7277. The Ridge Meadows RCMP sent a warning to residents about wildlife encounters in light of the bear attack, which said officers responded to 'an incident involving a resident and a bear' Thursday, but did not elaborate further. When CTV News asked police how they came to the decision to kill the bear, they wrote in a statement: 'The decision to dispatch an animal by police is always made on the basis of whether it is potentially dangerous or suffering. Given the nature of the call, including the injury sustained by the resident and the bear still posing a threat on the resident's property, officers were forced to act in the interest of public safety and make a difficult decision. We continue to work with our BC Conservation Officer Service and municipal partners to educate the public and prevent further incidents such as this involving wildlife.' Mounties also said an aggressive coyote bit a dog on Tuesday. 'While bear and coyote sightings are common in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, Ridge Meadows RCMP is taking this opportunity to remind residents to stay vigilant and use precaution,' police wrote in a news release Friday. 'We all play a significant role in determining how wildlife will interact with humans. Educating yourself and your family can help prevent such encounters.' Police reminded residents to keep dogs on a leash, secure their garbage, and to never approach or feed wildlife.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Grizzly seen ‘chasing livestock' on B.C. Gulf Island
In this file photo, a grizzly bear is seen fishing for salmon along the Atnarko river in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola, B.C. Saturday, Sept 11, 2010. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward) Conservation officers have been called to Texada Island after a grizzly bear was seen 'chasing livestock' Tuesday. The agency shared the news in a social media post, saying the incident was reported in the Crescent Bay Road area. '(Conservation officers) will conduct an investigation at the site to determine any next steps, if warranted,' the Facebook post said, adding that residents are urged to 'take precautions to avoid conflicts.' Two weeks ago, officials with the qathet Regional District said an adult male grizzly was seen on the island, having swam over from the mainland. In a public notice people were urged to be vigilant in preventing the bear from accessing human food. 'This is critical to avoid the bear becoming habituated to local communities,' the district's notice said. Anyone who sees the grizzly on the island is being asked to call 1-877-952-7277
CTV News
30-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Northern Ont. man fined $1,001 for dumping a bag of garbage
Timmins still has a problem with people illegally dumping trash, so it's stepping up fines and enforcement. Sergio Arangio reports. 2021: Cracking down on illegal dumping in Timmins A Cochrane, Ont., man was fined $1,001 for dumping a single bag of garbage on public land. John Sullivan pleaded guilty to the offence, which is a violation under the Public Lands Act. In a news release Friday, the Ministry of Natural Resources said the incident took place Oct. 8, 2023, in Hanna Township, south of Cochrane. 'The officers discovered that garbage had been deposited on public lands at the Little Lake access point parking lot,' the release said. 'The investigation led conservation officers to Sullivan who admitted to the offence.' Justice of the Peace Estelle Bérubé heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice in Cochrane on Dec. 3, 2024. To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, click here.
