A large male grizzly has been found shot to death, with body parts missing, near Pemberton.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is looking for the public's assistance in finding the individual or group responsible for its death. The grizzly was found late Thursday afternoon in the Pemberton Meadows near the turnoff to the Hurley Forest Service Road.
"It was not far from the road, and when our officers attended we found a large grizzly male, at least 700 pounds, dead," said conservation officer Chris Doyle.
"It was obviously killed illegally, and we're following up on some leads right now. We're hoping that there were some other hunters, or others in the area that something suspicious yesterday (Nov. 17). If they did, they should phone us and provide with the information.
"And if someone was involved in the shooting of the bear, we would like them to come forward as well."
Doyle said it's not uncommon to find grizzly bears in that area when the salmon are spawning, and that the bear was not tagged or collared.
There is no hunting of grizzlies permitted in the region.
"There are some areas of the province where there are limited entries (to hunt) grizzlies, but because of the small numbers in this year it's not viable to support hunting of any kind. So a loss of an animal like this could have a significant impact on the population."
If you have any information you can contact the B.C. Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
