Residents of the northern Ontario community have been stunned by the killing of a rare “spirit” mouse in Canada and have offered a reward to anyone who can help authorities arrest suspected poachers.

Residents around the town of Timmins have long exchanged stories of spooky white mouse populations and are occasionally seen wandering silently in the forests of Aspen and Pine.

But hunters recently killed two women, including a white cow. The remains, along with their heads, were dumped on the side of a remote service road.

“Everyone is angry and sad. Why shoot it? No one needs to be bad, “said Murray Ray, chief of the nearby Flying Post First Nations.” If you have a license to shoot one cow, you can shoot the other. Leave the whites alone.

Moose are not albinos, but get their color from a color gin. Among the indigenous peoples of the region, white animals such as bison, crows and grizzly bears are considered sacred and should not be harmed.

Troy Woodhouse, a member of the Flying Post community, said: “I’m sorry to hear that someone has taken such a beautiful animal. No one knows how many there are in the area, so the childhood loss of a single soul is too great.”

Many years ago, when he and his wife were fishing in the Groundhog River, Woodhouse got a white figure on the tree line. As they approached their boat, the young men were surprised to see a young white bull standing near the grandfather’s house in Moose Woodhouse.

“It was a sign that he was watching our country. It was very special to me, ”he said.

Mark Clement, a photographer in the area, has seen several muzzles over the years. He knows about at least four white bulls and may have more than 30 estimates scattered throughout the area.

The region has been plagued by white matter for more than 40 years, but has enjoyed legal protection over the past decade. These are not individual species, but symptoms throughout the region have warned against killing them – the only place in the country where such laws exist.

In 2013, a trio of poachers in the province of Nova Scotia killed a mob and expressed anger at the local Mikmak people. Realizing their mistake, the hunters returned the urine to Mikmak for a multi-day event – but kept the head as a trophy.

Wildlife officials have asked the public to come forward with any evidence that could substantiate the allegations. Woodhouse also awarded C $ 1000 ($ 760).

“I’m a proud Flying Post First Nation member and I just wanted to help in any way I could,” he said. “Since I’m so far away, I thought I could donate some money to bring more awareness and encourage others to raise concerns.”

News of his offer spread quickly. A local drilling company matched Woodhouse’s offer and an animal welfare company paid সি 5,000. The total now stands at $ 8,000.

“Perhaps the hunters tried to get one muj and the other got it by accident. If someone comes forward and admits what they did, I would give my share for any legal fee, “said Woodhouse.” There are a lot of negatives in the world today. Banding some people together and trying to turn it into something positive. It feels good. “