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Officer Won’t Kill Orphaned Baby Bears, Gets Suspended Without Pay [Video]

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 03:46 PST, Jul 10, 2015

One conservation officer found himself suspended after he refused to kill a pair of orphaned baby bears. The issue arose when the mother of the bears was shot for repeatedly breaking into a mobile home near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. A search of the area revealed the existence of the cubs, which were hiding in a tree. After getting assistance from the Port Hardy Fire Department, the conservation officer tranquilized the animals and took them to an area veterinarian.

When the vet determined that the bears were healthy, Bryce Casavant immediately turned the orphaned duo over to North Island Wildlife Recovery Association for care. Somehow the act of kindness didn’t sit well with the officer’s bosses at the Ministry of the Environment. Because the officer refused to kill the bears along with their mother, he was suspended by the Environment authorities in British Colombia without pay.

“I’m devastated,” said Bryce. “It’s so disappointing they have taken this stance.”

It was noted that cops have killed and been suspended with pay. To spare a life and be suspended without pay seemed a bit of a bitter twist. His union has since released a statement that the officer is now on paid leave.

But there’s a chance that the officer’s act of compassion might get him his job back. As the story goes viral, thousands have spoken out in favor of the officer. A petition posted to Change.org has garnered over 111,000 signatures. English comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, a noted animal rights advocate, has also called on British Colombia authorities to reinstate Officer Bryce Casavant.

Another reason that the officer could get his job back? The bears he saved posed no actual threat. The cubs are said to be about 8-weeks-old and didn’t pose the same sort of risk their mother did at the time of the incident. The bears are currently in the care of Robin Campbell, someone who has spent nearly 20 years rehabilitating wild bears.

According to Campbell, it’s very likely that the orphaned cubs will be good candidates for re-release into the wild as black bears are typically fearful of humans. He called the move to kill the entire family “highly unusual.”

“In 30 years, this is the first time we’ve ever had an issue like this. There has to be some kind of misunderstanding, [h]opefully somebody will come to their senses.”

The Ministry of the Environment has refused to comment on the story for “privacy reasons.”

Should the officer who wouldn’t kill these bears get his job back, or were his bosses in the right? Please share your thoughts below!

[Image Credit: flickr]

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