An RCMP officer poses with two of the bears found at a marijuana grow-op in southeastern B.C. (RCMP)

A Calgary woman's online petition against the possible destruction of marijuana-guarding black bears in B.C. has tripled in signatures over a period of 24 hours.

The petition accompanying Doreen McCrindle's Facebook site, "Help Save the BC Black Bears," had gathered more than 2,300 signatures by Monday afternoon, up from 700 at roughly the same time Sunday.

McCrindle is concerned that as many as 15 bears might be put down because they appear to be reliant on human food sources.

She said she's been told that habituated bears can survive in the wild.

"They will revert to their basic instinct and that's to forage," McCrindle told CBC News on Monday.

Police believe the bears were used to guard a marijuana grow-op in the community of Christina Lake, and had been fed with human-provided dog food.

Sarah Elmeligi of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society applauds what McCrindle is trying to do.

But she said she wonders why no similar petition was launched a year ago when at least a dozen black bears were shot near Conklin, Alta., because they were hanging out near a garbage dump.

"No questions asked, nobody raised awareness, nobody started an international petition," said Elmeligi.

Elmeligi feels the two circumstances are the same.

B.C. wildlife officials have decided to wait a while before doing anything about the Christina Lake bears.

"People are saying it's not the bears' fault, but unfortunately we're left to deal with the consequences of those actions of those people," said B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner.

Penner said the hope is these bears will disperse into the wild on their own once they realize they no longer have a free meal ticket.