We’ve previously mused on the status of animals before the law.

But the subject beared (sic) it’s ugly head in Macedonia this month.

A court found a wild bear guilty for damages of US$3,500 for damaging beehives. The bear was convicted in absence, and now has a criminal record.
It gets worse.

The bear is still at large. Since the bear did not have an owner, and was part of an endangered species, the fine was actually levied against the government.

The hivekeeper had managed to scare the bear away for one month, using a generator to power lights and loud Serbian music, and incurred the damages only once the generator lost power.

Rory McGillis, a first-year law student at UBC, asked,

If they find this bear can they sell him to a circus or put him to work to pay off the debt, or are their workhouse laws against that?

Thanks to Rory McGillis of UBC Law for the heads up.