Disturbing video of burning deer prompts investigation

A disturbing video uploaded to Facebook has garnered hundreds of angry comments and complaints to the RCMP and Conservation Officer Service. June 6, 2013. (Facebook)

B.C. conservation officers are investigating an unsettling video of a man laughing and swearing at what appears to be a deer carcass on fire.

The footage shows the animal motionless and engulfed in flames after allegedly being chained behind a pickup truck and dragged. An unidentified narrator describes the scene.

“That’s a deer I just hit on the highway. Drug it for a while, it’s on fire now. Yeah. Deer, be warned,” he says before chuckling.

“Don’t f--- with me,” he adds, then laughs some more.

The video was uploaded to a Dawson Creek-based Facebook page early Wednesday morning, prompting numerous complaints to local Mounties, the Ministry of Environment and the BC SPCA.

The posting received more than 500 Facebook comments by Thursday afternoon, most ranging from disappointed to angry.

“The joy this guy showed in this video is disgusting,” one user wrote.

“I have dragged [a deer] off the road once before but I did so without the use of a chain, truck and fire. I also did not film it, talk tough to the dead animal and then post it on the internet,” added another.

A tag on the video suggests it was taken near the village of Pouce Coupe.

SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk said the agency sent a special constable from the area to assist in the investigation, but it’s unclear whether animal cruelty charges are warranted.

“If there’s any evidence that the animal was alive, that he caused deliberate pain and suffering, there are certainly charges that could be laid,” Chortyk said.

The RCMP has already reviewed the footage and determined the contents are not criminal in nature. The file has been handed over to the Conservation Officer Service to investigate possible Wildlife Act violations, which could warrant hefty fines and even jail time.

“There are potential offences of the Wildlife Act including unlawful possession of dead wildlife with a maximum penalty of up to $50,000 or term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or both,” the Ministry of Environment said in an email statement.

“Unlawful possession of live wildlife has a maximum penalty of $100,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.”