WHISTLER, British Columbia, Canada: A British Columbia woman bought 10 cases of apples, 50 pounds of carrots and dozens of eggs to feed bears every week from her home during the summer of 2018.

The woman, from Whistler, BC, was ordered to pay $60,000 after officials ruled that she had violated the province’s Wildlife Act.

The Conservation Officer Service, a public safety agency that oversees human-wildlife conflict prevention efforts, received a complaint in July 2018 about black bears in the local neighborhood being fed by a resident.

Officials started an investigation, which discovered the woman was feeding the black bears.

On Facebook, the Conservation Officer Service said, on Friday, “Bulk produce, including up to 10 cases of apples, 50 pounds of carrots and up to 15 dozen eggs, were purchased on a weekly basis to feed the bears. These activities created an extraordinary public safety risk by conditioning bears to human food and presence.”

In September 2018, wildlife officials euthanized three bears that were visiting the residential area, after they damaged property and showed no fear of people, officials said, stressing that the bears were fed by the woman and could not be rehabilitated or relocated.

“Illegally feeding or placing attractants to lure dangerous wildlife, such as bears, is an extremely dangerous activity. Once bears learn to associate humans with food, it creates a public safety risk,” stated Conservation Officer Service Sgt. Simon Gravel on Facebook.

Officials noted that the $60,000 fine is the largest penalty ever imposed under the Wildlife Act.