Wildlife officers investigate poaching of threatened grizzly west of Edmonton

STONY PLAIN, Alta. – Alberta wildlife officers are investigating after someone dumped the remains of a big grizzly bear in a ditch west of Edmonton.

Grizzlies are considered a threatened species in the province and the government is treating the animal’s death as poaching.

Officers recovered the animal’s head and hide about 20 kilometres northwest of Stony Plain.

Wildlife officials say grizzlies don’t live in the area, but it’s odd that someone would kill a bear elsewhere and then dump parts that illegal hunters usually keep as trophies.

The maximum penalty for poaching a grizzly is a $100,000 fine and two years in jail.

Since Alberta stopped the legal hunting of grizzlies in 2006, 20 of the bears have been poached.