Central Okanagan residents have a role in reducing potential wildlife conflicts.
The Regional Waste Reduction Office encourages residents to keep neighbourhoods safe by managing anything that attracts bears and other wildlife around your home, including your household garbage.
Conservation Officers report bears are already active in many neighborhoods across the region, accessing garbage carts as a food source, so it’s time to be extra vigilant and do your part to reduce wildlife conflicts:
Rae Stewart, Waste Reduction Facilitator adds, “When bears come out of hibernation they’re hungry, looking for food. The best advice if you live in an area with wildlife is reduce your risk of conflict, take responsibility for your trash. That means making sure you don’t put your garbage cart at the curb the night before, only the morning of pickup.”
Stewart adds bears in particular, but other animals as well, have a keen sense of smell.
“The idea is to not attract them to your garbage unnecessarily. If they find your waste, they can make a real mess, and also become food conditioned. Then they can pose a risk to you, your family, your pets, neighbours, and themselves. And that’s totally preventable.”
New this year, after testing several bear resistant carts, the RDCO now has a limited supply of certified bear-resistant carts available for purchase at a subsidized rate of $75 including delivery.
These carts will be designated for curbside customers living in high bear interface areas only.