A Canadian conservation officer, who was fired after he refused an order to shoot two black bear cubs, recently won a court case against the British Columbia Ministry of Environment.
After years of fighting his termination in the provincial courts, the British Columbia court of appeals has finally ruled in his favor. Despite the ruling not officially reinstating him, Casavant feels a sense of “vindication” after his expensive and lengthy legal battle.
“I feel like the black clouds that have hung over my family for years are finally starting to part,” Casavant told the Guardian. “But the moment is bittersweet – my firing should have never happened in the first place. I kept fighting so that I could clear my name. I’ve long stood for public service, honour and integrity. It’s how I was raised and how I’ve raised my daughter.”
In 2015, Bryce Casavant was called to a mobile home park near Port Hardy, where a female black bear had been repeatedly raiding a freezer containing meat and salmon. Following the province’s guidelines, Casavant shot and killed the female bear, but because her two cubs hadn’t been seen causing any problems, he refused to shoot them. Believing that they could be rehabilitated, he took the little cubs to a veterinary hospital and they eventually were sent to a North Island Wildlife Recovery Association recovery center.
His decision to save the cubs, however, led to a suspension from duty, and he was later transferred out of the Conservation Officer Service.
“Bryce Casavant was following clear procedures when he decided to save these young bears,” said British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union president Stephanie Smith at the time of Casavant’s dismissal. “He showed compassion and exercised caution — all good traits for a conservation officer.”
The two sibling cubs that Casavant’s compassionate defiance saved have been released back into the wild.
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This is good news — cool and rational heads have prevailed — THANK YOU for NOT killing the babies — I WISH you had NOT killed the Mama Bear — relocation is an option which should’ve been considered — to KILL any Animal MUST be a last resort, if that — we had options whereby the whole FAMILY could’ve lived — so, this is a bitter-sweet victory — I hope your future with your family is a good, healthy and happy one — you should NOT have been punished for doing good and SAVING lives — RULES managing Animals must be changed so these NEEDLESS, unconscionable, CRUEL murders must NOT be repeated.
Happy he has been vindicated!!
While the conservation officer ultimately did the compassionate thing by not killing the cubs, the adult female who was “raiding” for food (probably to feed her cubs, was shot by him.
The whole concept of “wildlife management” should be questioned and challenged in this 21st century, because it is antiquated and weighted against the wild animal.
Unfortunately, “wildlife management” is still even accepted by many so-called “wildlife groups” who purport to care about wild animals. The “management ethic” is always weighted to benefit humans, not the wild animals.
http://www.foranimals.org stealtraps.com
I totally agree with you! The convenience of humans should never be the rule for wildlife management. I am hoping that this will change with activism. Praying for it!
I am glad that the conservation officer won his case in court. The officers do have some sort of decision making while on the job. If there was no reason to shoot the cubs, why would you. He made the right decision and I stand behind him.
This officer never should have murdered the mother. He deserves nothing . Poor babies were left without a mother .This officer is heartless I wonder if he has kids. How would he go about if his wife gets murdered like he murdered this poor babies mother.People think that when they move into the bear territory and when the bear shows up just call the police who usually kills without any hesitation. Either leave or get familiar with who else lives in your area. Share this planet it’s not your to claim . Man kind has caused more than enough problems already
I’m so happy to hear that sanity eventually prevailed in this case, but sorry that Mr. Casavant lost his position as a result of him sticking to his ethics in this case. We need more conservation officers who are prepared to do the right thing when faced with such dilemmas.
On a side note, it drives me bonkers to read time and time again that non-human animals are losing their lives because of the stupidity of humans who never seem to learn that they should NOT leave food anywhere likely to attract the attention of any animal, wild or domestic.
Congratulations and thank you Bryce Casavant for being a stand up person for those bears.
I am so happy to read this. I hope he gets back pay and reinstated and this sets a precedent. What they did to this fine officer was gross and immoral. Those people shouldn’t even be in this field. Frankly, I don’t know any place these types of people should work. Awful critical thinking, compassion, moral and ethical values not to mention tyrannical dictatorship where heart and spirit, compassion is required when dealing with sentient beings. What conservatism?
Good for the Cop and the Judge…
Dont shoot bears use shoot darts best and take to back place or find place dont blame bears because bears hungry and cut trees bear have no place home safe and hunt bears i dont like it
example of a real man
This guy is not a real man . They/he should of relocate the whole family . He is coward. Killing the mother that’s unacceptable
I agree. I think he felt guilt afterward.
He was in the right. It’s so rare to see compassion and honour these days. I’m proud of him and glad he won. The animals have a right to live just as we do.
My Casavant I wish to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for doing the right thing by these bears and having the strength to fight the Ministry, they are a disgrace! You are a good man and the world is a better place having you in it.