Sep 6, 2026
A former North Vancouver man who dodged his court date has been hit with a $27,000 penalty for leaving piles of raw chicken, sausage links and even lemon meringue pie out for bears and coyotes.
Kenneth Amaral was sentenced in absentia in North Vancouver Provincial Court on September 1 after being convicted of two counts under the provincial Wildlife Act.
Cameras capture feeding at multiple sites
The charges stem from an investigation launched in the spring of 2022 by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. Officers received tips that a man was dropping off large amounts of food attractants along Keith Road near the Capilano River in West Vancouver, close to residential homes, hiking trails and popular fishing spots.
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Despite being confronted by a member of the public and warned by authorities, Amaral continued to set up bait sites, according to details provided to CBC by the BC Conservation Officer Service.
Motion-activated cameras set up by officers captured Amaral returning to three distinct bait sites over several days, along with video footage of bears and coyotes feeding on the food.
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Man defends leaving food for wild animals
“As I said in the past, it’s just a matter of I put it out. Whatever came and ate it, ate it,” Amaral told the court during his 2025 trial. Amaral argued that sharing leftovers should not be illegal because the animals already inhabited the nearby forest.
The penalty includes $18,000 for feeding or attempting to feed dangerous wildlife and $9,000 for leaving attractants, assessed as daily fines across six days of infractions. A total of $20,000 from the overall penalty will be directed to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
Defendant skips sentencing hearing
Amaral skipped town prior to his sentencing hearing, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest. Investigators have been unable to locate him at his former residence or along his usual fishing haunts, with tips suggesting he may have relocated to Ontario.
Crown lawyer Veda Kenda argued in court that the risk to the public was very high given the proximity to walking paths, noting that animals habituated to human food often have to be euthanized after entering residential neighbourhoods.
North Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Robert Hamilton agreed to proceed without the defendant present, stating that Amaral had put himself in that position and the case needed to come to an end.
“Who, in this area of the world, thinks it’s OK to feed bears?” Hamilton asked during the sentencing, according to court proceedings. “Maybe, in his world, he thought he was doing a good thing for these bears. He was actually doing a very bad thing for these bears.”
Officers stress public and animal safety
Conservation officers emphasized that human safety and animal welfare rely on keeping wildlife wild.
“Bears, coyotes, and other dangerous wildlife that learn to associate people with food are more likely to enter neighbourhoods and create conflicts,” Insp. Simon Gravel said in a statement.
Authorities remind the public to maintain a safe distance from wild animals, secure all garbage, and report illegal feeding activity to the province’s Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline.
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Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
