The Regional District Central Okanagan (RDCO) is still looking for curbside carts tough enough to withstand bear damage.
Several bear-resistant carts have been tested over the past few years but a user-friendly, and cost-effective solution has yet to be found.
The RDCO and BC Conservation Officer Service are asking residents to help prevent human-bear conflicts by managing attractants, especially household garbage.
With bears coming out of hibernation, they鈥檙e hungry and looking for food sources, even unnatural ones like household garbage.
鈥淒on鈥檛 be the reason a bear ends up in your neighbourhood,鈥� Cynthia Coates, RDCO solid waste services supervisor, explained. 鈥淕arbage is the most reported attractant for bears.鈥�
Residents are reminded to securely store trash and only put garbage out the day of pickup, not the night before. Local solid waste management bylaws state residents must only put garbage, yard waste and recyclables out between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the day of collection.
鈥淚f they access your waste, they can become food-conditioned, posing a risk to you, your family, neighbours and themselves,鈥� Coates added. This is preventable.鈥�
Preventing Human-Bear conflicts:
- Put garbage out on collection day only;
- Store garbage indoors or in a bear resistance shed or enclosure;
- Wash recyclables before placing in cart;
- Freeze kitchen waste until collection day;
- Maintain compost to avoid smells - no meat/dairy;
- Avoid bird feeders and use birdbaths and houses instead;
- Keep BBQ grills clean;
- Feed pets and store pet food indoors;
- Avoid using outdoor fridges and freezers.
Under the BC Wildlife Act, it is an offence to feed or attract dangerous wildlife (bears, cougars, coyotes, wolves) and Conservation Officers will take enforcement action as warranted.
Human-bear conflicts, aggressive bear behaviour, and the feeding of dangerous wildlife can be reported to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
For more information on reducing human-wildfire conflict, visit the .