Wildlife and Waste

In BC, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development 
(MFLNRORD) and Conservation Officer Service administer their responsibilities through the Provincial Wildlife Act.  The Province also provides the 24-hour Conservation Officer Service reporting line that is used by the public to report human-wildlife interactions where public safety may be at risk, along with other environmental violations. The reporting line is also known as the Report Animal Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line and can be accessed by telephone (1-877-952-7277) or online.   
 

WildSafeBC is a program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation.  It has evolved from the highly successful ‘Bear Aware’ program and is owned and delivered by the non-profit British Columbia Conservation Foundation. Visit the WildSafeBC website for additional information including brochures, guides, courses, training and more.   

The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) has taken on a regional role in the prevention of human-wildlife conflicts and coordinates the provincial WildSafeBC program each year for the entire regional district, including Abbotsford. A WildSafeBC Community Coordinator is typically funded through the FVRD, member municipalities, and electoral areas to provide education and community outreach across the region each year, usually from May through November.  The Community Coordinator undertakes bin tagging, door-to-door outreach, attends community events, provides workshops on bear spray and electric fencing, provides WildSafe Ranger presentations for school-aged children, and offers advice on wildlife safety and attractant management.  For more information, please contact the current Fraser Valley Community Coordinator by email or call 604-702-5086, or visit the WildSafeBC website for additional contact information.    

The City of Abbotsford’s role and responsibilities are to provide information and promotion of coexistence and conflict prevention. The City works in partnership with both the FVRD and WildSafeBC to keep wildlife and our community safe. City staff provide information on coexisting with wildlife through door-to-door outreach and attending public events.  Tips on managing wildlife attractants are shared with residents through the Curbside Cart Collection Guide (available in English or Punjabi-COMING SOON), utility bill inserts, and messaging provided through the Abbotsford Curbside Collection App and City social media channels. The City provided additional funding to WildSafeBC in 2021 to support the regional Community Coordinator position.  The City’s funding provides additional hours of support and outreach in our community on managing wildlife attractants and coexisting with wildlife.   

The City also has an interest in ensuring development activities are consistent with senior government legislation, best management practices (BMPs), guidelines, and expectations, in order to ensure development activities align with the City’s Community Sustainability Strategy and the Official Community Plan.  Visit our Environment page for more information on how wildlife and the environment are protected during development activities in our community. 
 

Black bears inhabit most ecosystems throughout BC and you should consider the entire province to be ‘bear country’.  Black bear encounters account for approximately 20,000 calls to the Conservation Officer Service reporting line each year in BC. Between January 2020 and May 2021, there were over 160 black bear reports made in Abbotsford and curbside waste was the most common attractant. 
 
Black bears are typically most active between April and November and most sightings take place in June.  When preparing for the winter, bears enter a phase known as hyperphasia where they are known to consume 100,000 calories per day. Hyperphasia is an increase in feeding driven by a biological need to fatten up before bears go into their dens for the winter.  Once they enter the den, bears go without food and water for months.  If they do not get enough to eat in the fall, mothers don’t produce cubs and some bears may die in the den.  With warmer temperatures becoming more common, and because most bears can find a continual food source, many of them do not go into their dens at all for the winter.  
 
Constant exposure to humans can make a bear habituated or too comfortable being around humans.  Habituation is dangerous because the bear may become less fearful and more daring around humans, leading to conflict. It is easier to keep waste and other attractants away from bears than to stop a bear that has been rewarded with a food source from coming back into the area. It only takes one home not maintaining their attractants to cause problems for the entire neighbourhood.   
 
Relocation seldom works with bears. Bears often return to their original home territory or become ‘problem’ animals in other communities. In addition, translocated wildlife often fail to adapt to their new habitat and, as a result, may starve to death or be killed by those animals that already occupy the area.  Bears that become highly food-conditioned and habituated to humans are often destroyed because of concerns for human safety. Early reporting of a bear in a neighbourhood helps address the underlying issues before the bear becomes a problem. 

Bears will usually avoid an interaction with humans, provided they are given enough space. If you do see a bear in your neighbourhood follow these tips: 

• Remain calm and do not approach the bear. Usually the bear is just passing through the area and it will move on if no food is available. 
• Slowly wave your arms and talk to the bear in a low, calm voice while backing up so that the bear can identify you as a human. Fast movements or yelling can trigger aggressive behavior. 
• Do not make direct eye contact, scream or turn your back on the bear. 
• Warn others to keep away. Bring children and pets inside. 
• Give the bear a clear path to leave and watch the bear until it is gone. 
• If the bear has a curbside collection cart or other item, do not attempt to retrieve it until the bear has left the area. 
• Report sightings of aggressive or food conditioned bears in urban areas to the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.  

Refer to the resources section for links to more information on bear behavior and what to do if you encounter a bear in our community. 

To reduce the chance of a bear or wildlife accessing a food reward, curbside collection carts should only be set out between the hours of 5:00 am and 7:00 am on your scheduled collection day. Placing carts at the curb overnight creates an attractant for bears and other wildlife, and encourages them to come into residential neighbourhoods. Some black bears do not go into their dens in winter, so cart set out time requirements remain in place all year long to help keep wildlife safe. If putting your carts at the curb proves difficult because of shift work or lifestyle, ask for help from other occupants of your home or neighbours.  
 
Some additional tips to consider for proper waste and cart management include:  

•  Bring carts in quickly after collection. 
• Store all curbside collection carts in a secure indoor location. 
• Freeze odourous food scraps until morning of collection. 
• Wrap food scraps in newspaper or paper bags to minimize odours and mess.  
• Put baking soda or vinegar on smelly waste to neutralize the odour.  
• Keep curbside collection carts clean by rinsing or washing carts with mild detergent, vinegar or a bleach solution. 
• Do not stockpile or bury garbage.  

There are approximately 250 homes included in the bear-resistant cart area located in the Upper Straiton area on Sumas Mountain. Use of bear-resistant carts for the curbside collection of recycling, compostables and garbage is mandatory in the bear-resistant cart area. Use of bear-resistant carts outside of this area is optional, and can be requested by the property owner submitting a cart exchange request. 
    
Please note that only carts provided by the City of Abbotsford are compatible with the new automated collection vehicles. Carts from other municipalities, regional districts or retailers are not compatible with the City trucks and will not be collected. 
 
The bear-resistant cart looks like a regular cart but has features which make it difficult for a bear to open with their claws, paws and teeth. Each cart has a locking clip mechanism which is easy to open with your hand. These carts need to be manually unclipped when placed at the curb on collection day, and then re-clipped when you remove them from the curb. Bear-resistant carts are currently only available in 240L size for the curbside collection of recycling, compostable or garbage. The carts are “bear-resistant” and not “bear-proof” so do not guarantee that bears and other wildlife cannot gain access if given sufficient time. The bear-resistant carts can also be useful for managing waste from other wildlife including raccoons, crows, and squirrels.  
 
To find more information about the bear-resistant carts please refer to our brochure and visit the Carts page. 

Do not put out bird feeders during bear season (April to November). If you choose to feed birds during bear season please considering the following tips: 

• Do not leave bird feeders up at night. 
• Ensure the ground below the feeder is clear of seeds. 
• Use bird seed without millet which is what birds toss out of feeders.  
• Only put out a small amount of bird seed so that the food reward a bear obtains from the feeder is lower if accessed. 
• Plant red or pink native flowers to attract hummingbirds in place of using a hummingbird feeder.  
• Consider other options for attracting birds without attracting bears or other wildlife.  

Reducing wildlife conflict is a shared responsibility between local residents and government agencies. Owning a fruit tree or berry bush in bear country is your responsibility.  Pick ripe fruit daily or pick it before it ripens if you don’t intend on using it. Do not allow fruit to accumulate on the ground. Consider installing an electric fence to deter any bears. If possible, remove any fruit trees or berry bushes. 

Always store pet food indoors. Feeding pets indoors also helps prevent wildlife from accessing pet food.

Move outdoor fridges and freezers indoors to a secure location that cannot be accessed by wildlife.  

Keep barbecues and drip pans clean and odour-free after each use. If possible, secure barbecues in a shed or other secure location. Using a barbecue cover can also help mask odours.  

Consider installing an electric fence to protect beehives and small livestock. Avoid setting up beehives in early spring. Secure small livestock in a barn or coop after dark.  

Bears can be attracted to the smell given off from petroleum products such as paint, rubber, gas, motor oil and grease. Store these materials in a secure location to prevent access. 

Healthy and maintained backyard composters will prevent odours that can attract bears and other wildlife. Adding equal parts of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ materials will help you produce a low odour compost.

Acceptable ‘brown’ material to include in your backyard compost include:

• Fallen leaves
• Sawdust
• Straw
• Newspaper
• Tissue paper
• Paper towels
• Ripped up cardboard
• Coffee filters
• Dried grass clippings

Acceptable ‘green’ material for backyard composters include:

• Fresh grass clippings
• Plant trimmings
• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds
• Paper tea bags
• Human and animal hair  

Do not include the following items in your backyard composter: meat, fish, bones, rice, pasta, dairy, grease, oil, or charcoal briquettes.  

Try mixing fruit and vegetable scraps to the existing compost when adding them and only put in a little in at a time.  Adding garden lime can increase the speed of decomposition and lower odours.  Frequent and adequate aeration will allow oxygen-loving bacteria to thrive and keeps odours down.  You could also consider using a wildlife-resistant backyard composter that are designed to deter bears, rodents, skunks and raccoons (examples are provided by City Farmer).  Metro Vancouver also offers a brochure providing tips for successful backyard composting. 

• WildSafeBC - Find information and resources on reducing human and wildlife conflict.  
• Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) - Report wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk and violations of fisheries, wildlife, or environmental protection laws 
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) - Report damage to fish habitat and fish kills. 
• Staying Safe Around Wildlife - Learn more about common species in BC and how to reduce conflicts and remain safe around each. 
• Section 33.1, BC Wildlife Act - Prohibits leaving attractants of dangerous wildlife in areas that people inhabit, even if it’s unintentional. The fine for a violation ranges from $230 to $345 per offence. 
• Report Illegal Dumping in Abbotsford