Thousands of people are rallying behind a Canadian conservation officer who was suspended, after he refused to euthanize two orphaned black bear cubs.
Earlier this week, Bryan Casavant was called to the scene near Port Hardy, British Columbia, where a black bear repeatedly raided the freezer inside a mobile home, CBC News reported. The bear was killed, but her cubs -- a brother and sister -- were still on the property, looking for their mother.
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Despite being ordered to put them down, Casavant tranquilized the cubs and took them to a veterinary hospital, where they were deemed to be in good health. The cubs, named Jordan and Athena, were then taken to a recovery center run by the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association in Errington.
Casavant, who is currently under investigation, was initially suspended without pay. However, his union later said he would be on paid leave, pending an investigation, according to Public Radio International.
Robin Campbell, the recovery center's manager, stands by Casavant's decision. "[The mother bear] was a problem, but these cubs did nothing," he told CBC.
Many others also agree with Campbell's assessment. At the time of this writing, an online petition calling on B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak to reinstate Casavant has attracted nearly 152,000 signatures. It only needs around 48,000 more to reach its goal of 200,000.
Comedian Ricky Gervais also tweeted his support of Casavant.
Bryce Casavant, conservation officer, suspended for refusing to kill bear cubs http://t.co/E6AKvu6Kyd Reinstate this honourable man.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 8, 2015
"This is a very sad and unfortunate situation," Polak said in a statement. "Although conservation officers must sometimes put down wild animals for the safety of the public and the welfare of the animal, we understand how difficult it is for all involved."
For now, Jordan and Athena will remain at the recovery center for 18 months until they are ready to be released into the wild, PRI reported.
On Friday, several emails reportedly ordering Casavant to euthanize the cubs leaked online.