Efforts are underway to figure out how to remove more than two dozen cattle from Okanagan Lake after they fell through ice and drowned recently.
Okanagan Indian Band Chief Byron Louis says the loss is "tragic," and the OKIB is "in the process" of working out details of the bodies' recovery.
Louis says 31 cattle died in frigid conditions during the recent cold snap.
"It was pretty close to 30 below with wind chill, and it's hard enough any time in the winter to keep water holes open," the chief said Thursday.
The incident happened over Christmas, and Louis says the cattle went out on the lake to find open water to drink and eventually crashed through once they reached thin ice.
"It's a pretty tragic event. No one is at fault," he said.
"We're working with the Ministry of Environment on what steps to take ... We need to make sure it's handled properly as it's a safety issue. And we don't want to have any impact on drinking water."
The loss of that many cattle "is a huge loss for any rancher," the chief added, and the recovery has a limited window to happen before it could potentially impact water quality and also before the carcasses are no longer suitable to go to the rendering plant.
"We'll have to get divers in there and equipment, and then there's disposal ... we really need to make sure this is done safely," said Louis.
Band members are rallying around the rancher, the chief said, noting the loss is a big blow to the band's ranching operations, which have seen cattle production dwindle in recent years as younger members are not getting into farming.
