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Bc Conservation Service

Charges laid in collisions that killed five bighorn sheep in South Okanagan

PENTICTON - Two drivers are facing multiple charges after killing five bighorn sheep in two separate collisions on Highway 3 west of Keremeos in October. The collisions occurred on Oct. 1, 2015, around 4 p.m. when an eastbound Ford F250 pickup driven by a 56-year-old man and a Dodge Ram pickup driven by a 75-year-old...

Increasing conflicts convince West Kelowna to get bear help

WEST KELOWNA - Increasing bear conflicts on the fringes of West Kelowna has convinced the city to sign on with WildSafe B.C. to provide a seasonal bear awareness worker. The city will pay as much as $8,350 next year - depending if other partners sign on - for a medium level service contract with the...

Conservation officers save baby bobcat in Osoyoos

KAMLOOPS - An orphaned bobcat kitten got another chance at life after being rescued by conservation officers this summer. Officers found the kitten orphaned near Osoyoos in July and with the help of the public were able to capture it. The kitten was then transferred to the B.C. Wildlife Park in Kamloops for rehabilitation. The...

Wildlife tragedy: Miscommunication prolongs suffering of fawn injured in dog attack

KAMLOOPS – Alison Villeneuve was enjoying the last days of summer when she witnessed an attack the mere mention of which brings her to tears. She was kayaking near Cooney Bay, a small inlet on the Thompson River west of Kamloops, on Sept. 22 when she heard a noise she can only describe as screaming....

Bear complaints overwhelming Okanagan conservation officers

KAMLOOPS NUMBERS SLOW DOWN AFTER EARLY SPIKE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Conservation officers in the North and South Okanagan regions are being swamped with bear complaints as the large animals begin to prepare for hibernation. While fall always sees an uptick in bear activity, conservation officer Jim Beck says this year is worse than normal. “It’s crazy...

Unconfirmed cougar sighting in Kelowna

KELOWNA – RCMP are giving the public the heads up about a cougar sighting in Kelowna today. Police received an unconfirmed report of a cougar near Fascieux Creek in the green belt along between KLO Road and Lanfranco Road in the Mission, Sept. 5. RCMP officers had a look for the big cat, but couldn’t...

South Okanagan woman’s dog saves her during bear attack

PENTICTON - A South Okanagan woman is recovering from a harrowing bear attack in the Willowbrook area last week. The woman was walking her dog when the bear attacked on Aug. 5. She suffered a badly broken arm, which required surgery, claw scratches to her back, and a cut to her face. Conservation Officer Jim Beck...

Dead bear wrapped in tarp found in Kamloops alley

KAMLOOPS – A dead bear, wrapped in a tarp, was found in a back alley in downtown Kamloops earlier this week. The bear was found Monday, May 25, in an alleyway near First Avenue, between Nicola Street and Battle Street. Stephanie Patsula was walking home when she saw what she describes as 'a corpse…all wrapped...

Conservation officers will be watching for lawbreakers this long weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – As thousands flock to beaches, lakes, parks and campgrounds around the province for the first long weekend of summer, a warning from the people whose job it is to keep them safe. Conservation officers, natural resource officers and park rangers say they are ramping up patrols this May long weekend. There will be...

Chicken-killing bobcat tranquillized and relocated

KELOWNA – A Kelowna resident lost four chickens to a bobcat earlier this week—maybe the same cat seen hunting in neighbourhoods in the Upper Mission. Conservation office Ed Seitz says he was called Wednesday after the chickens were killed at a property in the lower Mission along Lakeshore Road. Last week, a bobcat attacked a...