A pair of snowmobilers from Alberta have been fined more than $1,600, combined, for riding in an area near Revelstoke, B.C., designated for the protection of mountain caribou.
The BC Conservation Officer Service said in a Facebook post Monday that officers on a helicopter patrol in the Sale Mountain closure north of Revelstoke had spotted the two "snow bike" riders not long after sighting 25 caribou.
Officers landed and stopped the riders, the service said.
"One rider was charged with snowmobiling in a closed area and failing to produce documents and identification, for a total of $748," the service's post reads.
"The second rider was charged for using or operating a snowmobile in a closed area, failing to produce documents and identification and failing to display a number plate, decal or sticker of other jurisdiction, for a total of $921."
The conservation officer service said snowmobiling in illegal areas "can displace mountain caribou from high-quality winter habitat."
Closures aimed at protecting the animals are in place in many parts of B.C.'s backcountry, the service said.
