I recently saw the news that Betty, a mother black bear with her two cubs in Coquitlam, was fatally shot. I felt pretty mad, but then it made me wonder: what happens to a bear’s body after it is killed? 

I checked B.C.’s black-bear statistics, but while the province reports how many bears are killed, euthanized, relocated or rehabilitated, it does not report what happens to each bear’s carcass. Section 2(4) of the B.C. Wildlife Act states that wildlife killed accidentally or to protect life or property remains government property. However, it does not clearly explain what happens after the government takes possession. Further research shows that dead bears may be used for purposes such as education, scientific research, ceremonies or other authorized uses, but the public is not told what happens in each specific case.

We as taxpayers are calling on the Government of British Columbia to publicly report the final disposition of every bear death reported. We deserve to know exactly how government-owned wildlife corpses are handled and we have the right to call for improvements when government procedures lack transparency.