Here is an update to the story I posted about the Quebec man who stole the bear cub (read the first story here: Man Snatches Bear Cub)
From the Winnipeg Sun
WAKEFIELD, Que. -- A Quebec woodsman, who wanted a black bear as a pet and ran over a cub several times on the Gatineau River with his Jet Ski to subdue the animal, will not face charges.
Prosecutors assigned to the "Buddy Bear" case decided against charges Monday, saying Denis Ryan, 55, did not intend to mistreat the now-orphaned cub.
The seven-month-old black bear was snatched from the river two weeks ago.
Ryan, aboard a Jet Ski, grabbed the cub by the scruff of the neck, then sped off as its mother snarled from shore.
When the bear tried to escape, some eight times, Ryan grabbed him by a hind leg, dangling him upside down, then dunked him in the river and started running him over to subdue him. He then finally tied the cub by the hind legs.
The abduction was foiled by a Quebec wildlife protection squad, and the cub is now recovering at a private wildlife sanctuary in Ontario in the Muskokas.
ANIMAL WILL GAIN WEIGHT
The bear's handlers are confident that he'll gain the weight he needs to go into hibernation this winter and then be released into the wild come spring.
Ryan faces a $2,000 fine from the wildlife protection squad for possession of a big game animal without a permit.
"The reality is that he will face a steep fine, a much greater one than the courts would have handed," said Lt. Marc Dube, a regional police officer.
At least one animal welfare group was outraged that no criminal charges will be laid.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said in a statement that it was "utterly appalled by the inefficacy of ... law enforcement to properly punish a man who cruelly, ignorantly robbed a defenceless bear cub of a life in the wild.
"Chances are, even if returned to the wild, Buddy Bear will never again see his mother. He will have to relearn all that she taught him."
The fund, like several other donors, has pledged $1,000 to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, the non-profit refuge where the bear is recovering.
The privately run sanctuary, founded by Audrey Tournay, 73, is a registered charity operating without government funds.
So running over the bear, dragging him through the water is not cruelty? The legal system proves itself once again!
From the Winnipeg Sun
WAKEFIELD, Que. -- A Quebec woodsman, who wanted a black bear as a pet and ran over a cub several times on the Gatineau River with his Jet Ski to subdue the animal, will not face charges.
Prosecutors assigned to the "Buddy Bear" case decided against charges Monday, saying Denis Ryan, 55, did not intend to mistreat the now-orphaned cub.
The seven-month-old black bear was snatched from the river two weeks ago.
Ryan, aboard a Jet Ski, grabbed the cub by the scruff of the neck, then sped off as its mother snarled from shore.
When the bear tried to escape, some eight times, Ryan grabbed him by a hind leg, dangling him upside down, then dunked him in the river and started running him over to subdue him. He then finally tied the cub by the hind legs.
The abduction was foiled by a Quebec wildlife protection squad, and the cub is now recovering at a private wildlife sanctuary in Ontario in the Muskokas.
ANIMAL WILL GAIN WEIGHT
The bear's handlers are confident that he'll gain the weight he needs to go into hibernation this winter and then be released into the wild come spring.
Ryan faces a $2,000 fine from the wildlife protection squad for possession of a big game animal without a permit.
"The reality is that he will face a steep fine, a much greater one than the courts would have handed," said Lt. Marc Dube, a regional police officer.
At least one animal welfare group was outraged that no criminal charges will be laid.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said in a statement that it was "utterly appalled by the inefficacy of ... law enforcement to properly punish a man who cruelly, ignorantly robbed a defenceless bear cub of a life in the wild.
"Chances are, even if returned to the wild, Buddy Bear will never again see his mother. He will have to relearn all that she taught him."
The fund, like several other donors, has pledged $1,000 to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, the non-profit refuge where the bear is recovering.
The privately run sanctuary, founded by Audrey Tournay, 73, is a registered charity operating without government funds.
So running over the bear, dragging him through the water is not cruelty? The legal system proves itself once again!
It's incomprehensible...and says a lot about Jet Ski users and the need to curtail use of them in areas near wildlife.
That sucks. He's probably ruined that cub's life, and he's getting off with a fine?
