Your garbage, your responsibility: Keep bears wild and our communities safe

As bears prepare to hibernate, the Regional District of Central Okanagan and WildSafeBC are urging residents to help prevent conflicts with wildlife by managing bear attractants around their homes and yards. Managing attractants is key to keeping both our communities and wildlife safe.

“Most residential areas in the Central Okanagan are adjacent to bears’ natural habitat, which is why it’s so important to manage attractants around your property especially garbage and recyclables. Don’t be the reason a bear comes knocking,” says Cynthia Coates, RDCO Solid Waste Supervisor. “Garbage is the most reported attractant when it comes to bears visiting neighborhoods.”

Conflict situations between humans and wildlife arise when animals become food conditioned. When wildlife has continual and easy access to non-natural food sources they will return, posing a risk to both residents and the animal. The best way to prevent and minimize conflict with wildlife in your neighborhood is to eliminate any attractants.

“Bears become more active as the summer ends and as they enter their most intense eating phase to prepare for hibernation,” says Breanna Scott, the Central Okanagan’s WildSafeBC Coordinator. “During this period, known as hyperphagia, bears consume up to 20,000 calories a day, for rapid weight gain. To find enough food before winter, bears tend to move to lower elevations, adjacent to their habitat, and conflicts in residential areas tend to increase.”

Local Solid Waste Management bylaws state residents must only put garbage, yard waste and recyclables out between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm on the day of collection. In addition, it is an offence under the BC Wildlife Act section 33.1 to attract dangerous animals (bears, wolves, cougars and coyotes) with unsecured attractants. Store carts inside or in a secure location (i.e. in a shed), freeze strong smelling food scraps until pick-up day and maintain a clean cart.

In addition to limiting attractants in carts, residents should take additional steps to manage attractants around their property. Pick fruit when ripe and collect fallen fruit, keep BBQs clean and burn off food after each use, avoid using bird feeders during bear season (April to November), practice responsible composting and keep pet food indoors.

For more information on reducing human-wildfire conflict, review the tips below and visit rdco.com/wildlife-awareness or wildsafebc.com.

Spot a bear? Report human-bear conflicts to the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1.877.952.7277.

WildSafeBC Tips

• Keep garbage, compost and other non-natural attractants secure – indoors is best!
• Never put your carts out prior to the morning of collection
• Freeze smelly items and keep containers clean