Pet owners beware - police report suspicious incident that may have sinister implications
By Kyra Hoggan
While everyone is commenting on the bizarre happenings in provincial politics of late, it’s worth noting that Castlegarians can find ample weirdness in their own backyards – literally.
Police were called to the Woodland Park Housing Co-op this morning to investigate what appears to be an effort to bait bears or other animals. Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Deb Postnikoff said the complainant led officers to a tree on the CP Rail right-of-way just behind Safeway, where they found a pile of what appeared to be high-quality raw meat – steaks, pork chops, etc – and behind it all, the carcass of a fully-cooked turkey. Postnikoff said it was clear this wasn’t a bag of groceries that someone had accidentally dropped after a trip to Safeway – the meat was unwrapped and neatly piled, implying a certain degree of intent on the part of whomever left it there. “There was no obvious evidence of poison,” Postnikoff added, which means there was no immediate proof of foul play (as it were), but the situation is suspicious and will bear monitoring (no pun intended) in the days and weeks to come. Area residents are advised to keep pets on leashes, and to watch them closely for signs of poisoning, as well as to report any increase in bear activity in the area. Postnikoff asked the media to remind the person responsible that this is an area with a high population of children, and baiting bears in this manner is not only illegal, it’s an invitation to tragedy. Police were unable, from this one incident, to ascertain the true nature of, or intent behind, the meat deposit, but ask residents who witness any similar caches of food in public places to call the RCMP detachment at 250-365-7721.
