Cleaning up after campers isnāt a novelty for Okanagan conservation officers, but the trail of carnage left by a group who took to the hills above the valley this past long weekend has them frustrated.
āWe always get a little bit more wild behaviour on the long weekends, but May long weekend is usually the worst,ā said conservation officerĀ Sgt. Jim Beck.
Up in the forested area that straddles the hills above Peachland and Summerland, that observation was reinforced.
āThrough our Report All Poachers and PollutersĀ line, an individual called in and said they heard a ruckus in the Headwaters Lake area and they went in after the dust settled to see what was left behind,ā he said.
What they found was a truckload of garbage and creatures protected under the wildlife act, slaughtered.
āThere were some songbirds they killed and a beaver was shot and partially skinned,ā said Beck, noting that it was clear from the beaverās corpse that the effort to remove its pelt was rudimentary at best.
āItās senseless killing.
āWe deal with all kinds of wildlife offences, and from time-to-time we get something like this.ā
The majority of outdoor enthusiasts arenātĀ bent on destructionĀ and have an appreciation of natural resources, he said.
āGroups like these tend to be disrespectful,ā he said. ā(This group) had guns, but that doesnāt mean theyāre hunters. They were discharging firearms all through the night.ā
Along with a trail of dead creatures and garbage, thereās evidence of a larger-than-permitted forest fire. The group also damaged the gate to the District of Summerlandās water supply, which has become a West Kelowna RCMP file.
Basically, when conservation officers finally find the people who made a mess in the forested area, theyāll have plenty of options for penalties.
āWe have a couple of leads that weāre hoping will lead us to them,ā said Beck, noting that some good samaritans cleaned up the site, and took loads of pictures that are being catalogued as evidence.
āIf anybody has any knowledge of who did this they can give us a call through the RAPP line.ā
Anyone with information is asked to call West Kelowna RCMP or theĀ RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.