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Bear Smart

People and wildlife, such as bears, are increasingly sharing space throughout Kamloops, so we must learn how to live harmoniously with them. Bears enter neighbourhoods primarily in search of food. Proper management of all potential sources of food, including solid waste carts, goes a long way to reduce human-bear conflict.

It’s normal for a bear to travel though our community in certain instances, such as accessing natural food sources or relocating to areas once included in their natural home range. However, when bears begin to utilize human-provided food sources in a community, it creates the potential for human-bear conflict.

Your Actions Can Save a Bear's Life

Addressing the source of human-bear conflict reduces the risk to human safety and private property and the number of bears destroyed. Wildlife see improperly managed and unsecured garbage and organic waste as an easy food source. Removing access to these attractants is key to preventing food conditioning, which is a learned behaviour where wildlife associate people and their property as an easily accessible food source.

Bears that are conditioned to non-natural food sources are not candidates for relocation or rehabilitation because of the high risk to public safety, as they typically show minimal fear of people. Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear.

Check Your Property For Bear Attractants

Unmanaged bear attractants around our homes can unintentionally attract bears to our neighbourhoods as they sniff out food sources. A bear can pick up a scent from kilometers away!

Help keep our community and local bear populations safe by doing the following:

  • Properly manage your solid waste. 
  • Keep pet food/containers indoors.
  • Keep your barbecue clean.
  • Remove bird feeders from May to November and clean up any spilled bird seed.
  • Pick fruit from trees as soon as it ripens and consider removing any unwanted fruit trees. If you need help harvesting your trees, check out the Kamloops Food Policy Council’s Gleaning Abundance Program.
  • Manage back yard composters properly, and do not compost animal products, such as meats, greases, and dairy.

Do you have fruit trees? Follow these tips to prevent human-wildlife conflict and benefit your fruit trees:

  • Choose a plant or tree that does not bear fruit or berries and does not have a strong scent.
  • Prune your fruit trees so they only produce the amount of fruit you are able to use.
  • Prune fruit trees when they are dormant (January to early February).
  • Clean up fallen fruit daily and pick fruit and berries as soon as they ripen.
  • Consider investing in an electric fence system that will act as a wildlife deterrent.
  • If you do not use fruit from your existing trees and shrubs, consider replacing them.
  • If you do not want the fruit, prune the tree to prevent blossoms or spray spring blossoms with a garden hose to knock them off.
  • If you need help harvesting your trees and want to make the fruit available to others, learn about the Kamloops Food Policy Council’s Gleaning Abundance Program.
  • Remember, domestic fruit trees should feed people, not wildlife!

It's the (by)law!

Under Solid Waste, Recyclables, and Organics Bylaw No. 40-67:

  • Residents must ensure that solid waste carts are stored securely and made inaccessible to wildlife.
  • Between April 1 and November 30, carts must not be placed at the curb earlier than 4:00 am on collection day, and carts must be removed from the curb no later than 7:00 pm year-round. 
  • No property owner or occupier shall accumulate, store, or collect any wildlife attractants unless stored in an enclosed structure or securely fastened bear-resistant cart (Note: bear-resistant organics and garbage carts will be available on an as-requested basis in early 2025).
  • Residents must ensure lids of bear-resistant carts are securely fastened when carts are not set at the curb for collection.
  • Residents must ensure clips on bear-resistant carts are unfastened by 7:00 am on collection day and refastened by 7:00 pm on collection day.
  • Infractions may result in a $100 fine.

Feeding bears, even unintentionally, is also against the law in BC, under the British Columbia Wildlife Act.

If you face barriers to storing your solid waste carts in a wildlife-proof enclosure, consider the following:

  • Store meat and strong-smelling food scraps in the freezer or in an airtight container and transfer them to your cart on collection day.
  • Use a flat hook tie-down strap rated at 1,000 lb. to secure the cart lid down, and secure the cart to a stationary object.
  • Get a bear-resistant cart and keep it securely fastened when not set at the curb for collection. (Note: bear-resistant organics and garbage carts will be available on an as-requested basis in early 2025). 

Kamloops is a Bear Smart Community

Did you know? Kamloops is one of only 10 BC communities that has achieved official Bear Smart status. Being a designated Bear Smart Community means we work to address the root causes of human-bear conflict and help keep our community and local bear populations safe.

Bear-Resistant Solid Waste Carts

Following a year-long pilot program on selected routes to assess the feasibility, usability and effectiveness of bear-resistant organics carts, on June 25, 2024, Council authorized staff to move forward with community-wide implementation of bear-resistant organics and garbage carts on an as-requested basis.

On August 13, 2024, Council authorized an amendment to the Solid Waste, Recyclables, and Organics Bylaw formally outlining what the fees for bear-resistant solid waste carts will be. The cost will be an additional $20 per cart per year (billed as $5 quarterly), which will result in annual lease and collection fees of $32 for organics carts (120 L only), $105 for 120 L garbage carts, and $180 for 245 L garbage carts. For a list of cart sizes and costs, visit Kamloops.ca/CollectionRates.

Interested residents can expect to see an update in early 2025 from the City about when and how to order a bear-resistant cart.

Please Report All Sightings

Report all sightings and human-wildlife interactions to the BC Conservation Officer Service by calling 1-877-952-7277. 

Do you know what to do if you see a bear? Learn useful information about how to respond if you encounter a bear

We work in partnership with WildsafeBC on preventing conflict with wildlife. For more information and resources to help avoid conflict with wildlife, contact the Kamloops WildSafeBC Coordinator at 250-828-2551 or visit WildSafeBC.

Notice: Public Garbage Container Changes

e City is beginning the process of reducing the number of public garbage containers in park spaces and replacing the remaining containers with bear-proof versions.

This initiative is an effort to minimize bear attractants in public spaces. Effectively managing bear attractants supports the City’s commitment as a designated Bear Smart Community to help keep the community and bear populations safe.

City crews will begin by removing unnecessary or repetitive garbage containers while implementing a longer-term plan to replace the remaining containers with bear-proof ones, beginning in high bear hazard areas.

In the absence of a garbage container at a previously known location, the City encourages park users to locate a nearby receptacle that will be a short distance away.