Conservation officers in Canada are asking the public for help after the body of a grizzly bear was discovered floating in a British Columbia river.
This week, the province’s conservation service said it was investigating the illegal killing of the bear, after remains were discovered near the town of Squamish.
In a post on social media, the conservation service said it first received a tip from the public on 10 August, when the dead bear was found floating in the Squamish River.
After a necropsy, investigators believe the bear was shot between 7 and 9 August and then dragged into the river with a rope. The animal, known to frequent the confluence of the Cheakamus and Squamish rivers, was relocated from the Squamish area three years ago and had a yellow ear tag.
In recent years, the health of grizzly bear populations has been a concern in the province, where the widespread hunting of them over successive generations dramatically reduced their numbers. Habitat loss, as well dwindling food supplies, have put pressure on the apex predator.
British Columbia ended trophy hunting of grizzly bears in 2017 amid mounting public pushback over the practice. First Nations can still hunt the bears for food, social, or ceremonial purposes, or as part of an exercise of their treaty rights.
When it announced the ban, the province estimated there were 15,000 grizzlies remaining in British Columbia, although it conceded that determining the true population was difficult.
The conservation service said that failing to report an accidental or defensive shooting of a bear was against the law. It is punishable by fines of up to C$100,000 (£60,000) and one year in prison.
