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Wildlife advocates are offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the conviction of whoever emptied a quiver of arrows into a West Kelowna beaver.

The beaver still had four arrows embedded into its body when it was spotted and photographed last Friday swimming in Okanagan Lake near the West Kelowna Yacht Club.

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A reward of $1,200, originally offered by the B.C. animal advocacy group The Fur-Bearers, was raised to $2,500 after an Okanagan resident offered up an additional $1,300.

Adrian Nelson, director of communications for The Fur-Bearers. says the event has deeply upset the community, and residents are asking how they can help.

“The government investigators say that the beaver was likely enduring extreme pain. We are certain that someone is aware of who is responsible for this act and plead with residents who may have information to contact investigators,” said Nelson.

It may still be suffering as B.C. Conservation Officers have not yet located the animal.

“This was outside the season for hunting and this is not the way to dispatch of a nuisance animal. When you fire four arrows into a beaver, you are not trying to get a pelt,” said Nelson. “Whoever did this doesn’t care about wildlife management … they don’t care about wildlife at all.”

Anyone with information can contact the B.C. Conservation Officers Service’s Report All Poachers and Polluters Program (RAPP) at 1-877-952-7277.

sbrown@postmedia.com

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