An Ontario court is to hear arguments today against the province’s planned spring bear hunt.Animal Alliance of Canada and Zoocheck Canada are challenging the hunt, saying mother bears will be killed and their orphaned cubs left to starve or be killed by predators.
The new spring hunt is scheduled to begin in selected northern communities on Thursday and ends on June 15th.
The animal rights groups have filed an application for a judicial review, and say they hope the court will at least delay the start of the hunt until it can issue a ruling.
Their lawyer has said the hunt would be contrary to animal cruelty provisions in the Criminal Code.
The hunt was cancelled in 1999.