The City of Kamloops has issued its annual warning to residents to avoid attracting bears as they begin to wake up from their winter hibernations.
A news release says unmanaged bear attractants can unintentionally increase the risk of bear-human conflicts and bring the animals into neighbourhoods as they try to find food.
To help avoid bear-human conflicts all year long, the city is reminding all residents to keep pet food and containers inside, remove bird feeders from May to November, pick fruit from trees as soon as it ripens and manage their backyard compost bins properly.
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“Every year, the mismanagement of wildlife attractants leads to the needless destruction of bears. Putting down bears is preventable,” says Danielle Sparks, the City’s Environmental Services Coordinator.
“We encourage behaviour that helps keep bears safe and reduces human-bear conflict. We want residents to remember that simple actions can save a bear’s life.”
Additionally, under the city’s Solid Waste and Recyclables Bylaw, residents must ensure that solid waste carts are stored secretly and made inaccessible to wildlife.
Under the Bear Smart Bylaw, which was updated in November 2022, carts must not be placed at the curb before 4 am on collection days and must be removed by 7 pm from April 1 to November 30.
Under the bylaw, no property owners or occupiers are allowed to accumulate, store or collect any wildlife attractants unless stored in enclosed structures or closed containers.
Any infractions to those bylaw rules will result in a $100 fine.
The city asks residents to report all sightings and human-wildlife interactions to the BC Conservation Officer Service by calling 1-877-952-7277.
You can learn more about bear safety and reducing your chances of attracting bears and other wildlife by visiting Kamloops.ca/BearSmart.
