A Hudson’s Hope man has been fined $7500 after police and wildlife authorities rescued a caged black bear cub from his property in 2020.
Justin Thibault was sentenced for unlawful possession of live wildlife in provincial court on Friday, March 3, and ordered to pay $7400 in restitution to the Habitat Conservation Trust, and another $100 fine to the provincial government, according to court records.
The cub was found caged on a Farrell Creek property June 9, 2020, when RCMP went to arrest Thibault in connection with several thefts in the area.
The cub was seized by conservation officers and sent to the Northern Lights Wildlife Society in Smithers, where he was affectionately named 'The Rock' due to his unusual size.
It was alleged that the cub's mom was killed in a vehicle accident, and the sanctuary says 'The Rock' was released back into the wild in the Hudson's Hope region in June 2021.
Wildlife charges against Tessa Ann Broad, who was also arrested in the incident, were dropped.
