2 Canadians Charged After Viral Photo Showed Them Feeding Tim Hortons Snacks to a Bear

A Canadian duo has been charged with hand-feeding treats to a bear.

Randy Scott, 31, and Megan Hiltz, 26 of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, each face one count of feeding or attempting to feed dangerous wildlife, according to court records.

The charges came after a photo circulated last year of a young grizzly bear being hand-fed a TimBit, or a doughnut hole from Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons. The bear was also allegedly fed hot dogs during the same trip.

British Columbia’s Conservation officer Sam Harris said Scott and Hiltz had been feeding the bears near Fort Nelson, while driving along the Alaska Highway, according to The Canadian Press.

"Our big concern with people feeding bears is that once a bear becomes habituated to people and he starts associating people with food, then they become a danger to the public," Harris said.

The charges came after the Conservation Officer Service saw the photo, which they later posted on Twitter.

Scott and Hiltz are due to appear in Fort Nelson Law Courts on Nov. 5.  

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