CHRISTINA LAKE, B.C. — If you go down to the grow-op today, you're in for a big surprise.
Mounties raiding a marijuana-growing site recently in British Columbia stumbled upon some unexpected and burly security guards: 10 black bears.
RCMP arrived on a rural property near Christina Lake, in the West Kootenays, about 2 1/2 weeks ago to find the surprise welcoming committee.
"They weren't aggressive. They're wandering all throughout the grow-op area," said Sgt. Fred Mansveld.
"One of them hopped on the hood of the police car and sat there."
Police notified conservation officers and even posed for some photos near the animals.
RCMP speculated in a news release that the owners "either enjoyed wildlife up real close, or were purposefully using bears to protect their property and grow-op."
It appears the woman living there had been feeding the bears dog food, police said, but those weren't the only animals officers found.
They searched a nearby home and "came upon a pig roaming around the house and disrupted a raccoon from his afternoon nap in one of the bedrooms," the release said. "The pig was a little frantic at the sight of police, but the raccoon was pretty laid back about the bust and took it all in stride."
The two plots had more than 1,000 marijuana plants each, police said.
Two people in their 40s from Christina Lake have been arrested and are expected to face charges of production and possession of a controlled substance, police said.
Grand Forks Mayor Brian Taylor said a woman named Kate lives on the property and has been feeding all kind of animals who pass through for the past 20 years.
"Basically, her home is their home," he said. "The rumours are that (the bears) come in and lounge on her couch and watch TV and they're part of the family."
Dave Webster, a local conservation officer, said staff are going to give the bears the chance to move on and find a natural food source. Conservation officers are hopeful the bears won't find their way to other residences.
"This property is known to us, (with) feeding issues in the past," Webster said.Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/story.html?id=3414910#ixzz0xBwnyMDL