With the current summer heat, Coquitlam is reminding residents to do their part to help bears seek natural food sources, not garbage.
COQUITLAM, BC, August 10, 2020 – With the current summer heat, Coquitlam is reminding residents to do their part to help bears seek natural food sources, not garbage.
Residents can take simple steps to keep bears safe and prevent human-wildlife conflict including:
- Freezing smelly food scraps until collection day;
- Separating waste and putting food scraps in the Green Cart, which is collected weekly;
- Keeping garbage and food waste securely stored at all times;
- Cleaning carts after collection to minimize odour;
- Only putting out Garbage and Green Carts after 5:30 a.m. on collection day – not the night before;
- Making sure attractants such as pet food, bird feeders and ripe fruit are not accessible to wildlife; and
- Keeping unattended garages and sheds closed.
Property owners that allow wildlife to access attractants – even unintentionally – will receive a $500 fine. These rules and more are explained at www.coquitlam.ca/bearsmart
Unsecured Attractants Put Bears at Risk
Bears have a strong sense of smell – it only takes one home’s garbage to attract a bear. Making sure they don’t find an easy meal in your neighbourhood will help encourage them to forage in natural areas rather than backyards.
Unsecured garbage continues to be the most common bear attractant in Coquitlam. It’s a problem because bears that become habituated to eating garbage can become unpredictable, making them dangerous to people.
It is up to everyone to do their part to be bear smart. City staff are available to help provide tips and advice on how to make your property – and especially your garbage – less attractive to bears.
More information can be found at www.coquitlam.ca/bearsmart.
To report wildlife attractants, improper storage of attractants or wildlife accessing attractants, call the City at 604-927-3500 or email. To report wildlife that is aggressive or causing property damage, call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.