The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen is reminding residents, property owners and visitors that garbage is the top attractant for black bears in the region.
To reduce conflicts with bears and other wildlife, residents are reminded that garbage bins are to be placed out for collection no earlier than 5 a.m. on the designated day for garbage collection.
British Columbia has the largest population of black bears in North America, and in the regional district, interactions with bears reached new highs in 2023.
READ ALSO: Bears are back in the South Okanagan and looking for food
Bears, along with rats and raccoons, are well-adapted to access unnatural food sources, and bears have a sense of smell five times better than dogs.
Wildlife encounters involving bears tend to have serious consequences for the bear.
“A black bear that loses its natural instinct to avoid humans is called ‘habituated’ and cannot be re-programmed to be wary of people,” the regional district says.
These bears cannot be relocated and often result in the bear having to be euthanized.
The regional district suggests tips to reduce conflicts between people and wildlife. These include keeping garbage secure and storing it in a secure location indoors or in a wildlife-resistant container, putting out garbage, recycling or compost on the day of collection rather than the night before, managing fruit trees to pick fruit as it ripens, bringing bird feeders inside from April to November, keeping barbecues clean and odour-free and not feeding wild animals.
Food-conditioned animals are more likely to come into conflict with people, the regional district says.
People are encouraged to report wildlife conflicts or sightings in urban areas to the Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline anytime at
The hotline should be used to report wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk.
