Suggest This Page To A Friend!

Submitted by Christine Gorman

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

While the fauna of Prince Edward Island no longer includes bears and lynx, we once had them in large enough numbers to justify a bounty on their heads. In the early days, there were many reports of people killed and mauled by bears.

From the Journal of the House of Assembly, Appendix H, 1859.

Paid by the Treasurer's Office in 1858, the premium for killing Bears and loupcerviers. [Loupcervier also known as loup-cervier, or Canada lynx.]

Feb. 4, paid Eli Gallant, for killing one Loupcervier, 5 shilllings.

Feb. 4, paid Joseph Gallant, for killing two Loupcerviers, 10 shillings.

Feb. 15, paid Leong Gaudet, for killing one Loupcervier, 5 shillings.

Feb. 24, paid Donald McNeill, for killing two Bears, ,1 10 shillings.

March 18, paid James Thompson, for killing one Loupcervier, 5 shillings.

March 20, paid Mathew Pusper (Indian) for killing two Bears, ,1 10 shillings.

May 5, paid Charles White, for killing one Loupcervier, 5 shillings.

May 10, paid Michael Brian, for killing one Bear, 15 shillings.

June 28, paid George Guard, for killing one Bear, 15 shillings.

July 24, paid Jonathon Birt, for killing one Bear, 15 shillings.

Aug. 19, paid John McKinnon, for killing one Bear, 15 shillings.

Aug. 19, paid John McKinnon, for killing one Bear, 15 shillings.

Sept. 4, paid Alexander McDonald, for killing 3 Bears, ,2 5 shillings.

Oct. 23, paid Joseph De roche, for killing one Loupcervier, 5 shillings.

Total, £10 15 shillings.
JAMES WARBURTON, Treasurer.