Central Alberta zoo gets $500 in fines after ice cream eating bear video

A central Alberta zoo must pay $500 in fines after taking a bear for ice cream at a drive-thru.

A video posted on social media in January by Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail, Alta., showed a one-year-old captive bear named Berkley leaning out a truck's window and being hand-fed ice cream by the owner of the local Dairy Queen.

Officials with the province investigated and charged the zoo with two counts of violating a licence or permit under the Wildlife Act.

One count stems from the bear being taken for ice cream, while the other relates to an employee who brought an orphaned bear cub home to foster in 2017.

The zoo's owners pleaded guilty and the business was fined $250 for each of the charges.

Co-owner Doug Bos told court they were embarrassed about the charges, but he thanked Alberta Fish and Wildlife for doing its job.

Outside court, he said the zoo made a mistake.

"I'm happy that Fish and Wildlife did this because it proves that there are strict rules and regulations to operating a zoo in Alberta and, when you make a mistake, you have to pay for it," he said.

Bos said they've made changes to ensure they don't take the bear off site without permission again.

Some bear experts said it's time for the Alberta government to take a closer look at roadside zoos.

"The bear was being hand-fed food and that's not something we want to promote," said Kim Titchener, who runs a business called Bear Safety & More. "We really need to push a stronger message."

She said the zoo should have gotten a tougher penalty.

The zoo's permit, which is regulated by Alberta Environment and Parks, has been revised to impose new conditions.

They include requiring the zoo to provide more details when asking to transport a controlled animal or wildlife and to keep those animals in a cage, crate or kennel when in a vehicle.

It also says the zoo cannot put any animals on display outside the facility without prior permission from the province, nor can it allow any member of the public to have physical contact with animals such as monkeys, cougars, wolves or bears.

(rdnewsNOW/The Canadian Press)