A dead grizzly bear has been found shot and tied with rope in a BC river which has sparked an investigation from officials..The bear was found dead, floating in the Squamish River in BC on Aug. 10, the Conservation Officer Service (COS) said in a statement..A necropsy found the bear had been shot before the rope was tied around its body and used to drag it into the river for disposal..Conservation officials said they believe the bear had been shot between Aug. 7 to Aug. 9.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..First Nations can still hunt the bears for food, social, or ceremonial purposes, or as part of an exercise of their treaty rights. However, there has been a ban on trophy hunting grizzly bears in BC since 2017.."The COS is requesting the public's assistance in identifying offenders or information related to this investigation," the Conservation Officer Service said in a statement.."Callers can remain anonymous. There are reward programs available for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) responsible for this unlawful act.".Officials said it is also an offence to fail to report an accidental shooting or defensive shooting of wildlife.."If found guilty, on a first conviction, an accused can be fined up to $100,000 or imprisoned for one year, or both," the Conservation Officer Service said.
