Prevent Conflicts with Bears and Wildlife

Bears in area

Saanich residents are advised to manage bear attractants around their homes and yards. Managing attractants plays an important part in keeping your community safe and preventing bears from being killed.

Here are some things that you can do:

  • Keep all garbage, organics and recycling securely stored until collection day inside a shed or garage. Placing solid waste at the curb before collection day makes it easily accessible to bears.
  • Freeze meat and strong smelling food scraps, and transfer to the Green Cart on collection day.
  • Keep your Green Cart and Garbage Cart clean between collection days.
  • Manage your fruit trees and berry bushes responsibly. Pick all fruit as it ripens and ensure that windfalls do not accumulate. Consider using electric fencing to protect your harvest.
  • Feed pets indoors. If fed outdoors, bring in dirty bowls and uneaten food immediately after feeding.
  • Keep your barbecue clean and free from odours. Burn off the grill after use and clean out the grease traps.
  • If you keep chickens, bees, or small livestock, use a properly installed and maintained electric fence. Store all your feed in a secure location and ensure feeding areas are clean and free of attractants.

If attractants are not properly managed, a fine of $230 could be levied under the BC Wildlife Act (section 33.1) which states:

  1. A person must not (a) intentionally feed or attempt to feed dangerous wildlife, or (b) provide, leave or place an attractant in, on or about any land premises with the intent of attracting dangerous wildlife.
  2. A person must not leave or place an attractant in, on or about any land premises where there are or where there are likely to be people, in a manner in which the attractant could (a) attract dangerous wildlife to the land or premises, and (b) be accessible to dangerous wildlife.

Please call the BC Conservation Officer Service to report any wildlife concerns and bear issues at 1-877-952-RAPP(7277) or visit Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).

For more information on managing bear attractants and what to do if you encounter a bear, please visit WildsafeBC.

Stay safe and help keep wildlife wild.