Yukon conservation officers are investigating a “large amount” of rotisserie chickens, chicken nuggets and fries illegally dumped in the bush around the Scout Lake Road and Old Alaska Highway area. According to an email from Linea Volkering in the Yukon Environment department communications, officers received a report about the discarded grub on May 19. That includes about 40 discarded chickens that were originally reported to officers, although the entire amount shown in a photo provided to officers was no longer there when they arrived.
Linda Lamers posted to the Yukon Helpers Network on Facebook about the mess. Officers have since cleaned up the site. "Under the , littering can get you a $500 fine, with a maximum penalty of up to $200,000 and six months in jail," Volkering noted.
"Under the , attractants left out could also be subject to a $100 fine for encouraging wildlife to become a nuisance, with a fine of not more than $50,000, to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year" or both. Volkering said officers are recommending leashing up dogs, carrying bear spray and being alert in the area given wildlife may still on the hunt for the smell of the food. “Right now we are in shoulder season where bears and other animals have limited food sources.
Leaving food out — or in this case dumping it — can cause wildlife to feed on unnatural food sources and encourage them to seek similar opportunities, eventually bringing them into conflict,” Volkering said. �.
