Index
Bears and Garbage
Living in Prince George may mean a greater-than-average chance of encountering bears, especially during spring and autumn when animals are either emerging from or getting ready for hibernation. Prince George is prime bear habitat and an average of 35 bears are destroyed every year when they become used to unnatural food sources like garbage or fruit grown in gardens.
Residents can protect against bear (and other wildlife) encounters by making sure garbage carts are only placed outside after 4:00am on garbage collection days and securely stored otherwise.
Bear Smart Community
The City of Prince George is working towards becoming a "Bear Smart Community" to help keep residents and bears safe from each other.
The Bear Smart program is a joint initiative between the Province of British Columbia, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities aimed at addressing the root causes of human-bear conflicts. The program's goals are to increase public safety and reduce the number of the bears that need to be destroyed.
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Bear-Resistant Garbage Cart Pilot Project
The City introduced 300 bear-resistant residential garbage carts to the Hart Highlands Croft neighbourhood on April 15, 2019. The carts are part of a pilot project to make urban garbage less attractive to resident bear populations. Seventy per cent of the 1,100 reported bear sightings in Prince George are related to bears' attraction to garbage.
Similar to large-sized regular garbage carts, the bear-resistant carts are robustly designed, but light enough to move around and unlock with one hand. The City will monitor the cart's performance for potential distribution in other high-frequency bear areas.
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Maintaining a Wildlife-Resistant Yard
Protect against unexpected wildlife encounters at home by making yards wildlife-resistant with the following tips:
- Avoid growing food-bearing trees, shrubs, and other plants. If there are already such plants on the property, be sure to pick ripe fruit and vegetables and clean up fallen remnants.
- Clean outdoor barbecues regularly.
- Feed pets indoors and keep bird feeders out of reach.
For more information:
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Fines
Help avoid potential human-bear conflicts as well as Garbage Collection Regulation bylaw fines of up to $300 by observing the rules on garbage cart placement:
- Place carts at the curb no earlier than 4:00am on garbage collection days.
- Store carts in an inaccessible enclosure or location on non-collection days.
Penalties
Bylaw infractions will result in the following penalties:
- $100 for placing carts out before 4:00am on collection day.
- $100 for not removing carts by 7:00pm on collection day.
- $300 for attracting or feeding dangerous wildlife.
For more information:
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Avoiding Bear Encounters
Human-bear encounters are common in Prince George, especially in neighbourhoods that border parkland and natural areas. Keep safe outdoors with the following tips on how to avoid unexpected run-ins with bears:
- Make noises - like speaking loudly - when hiking or biking to alert bears in the area that people are close by.
- Travel in a group whenever possible.
- Use officially marked trails and hike/bike during daylight hours.
- Keep pets on leashes at all times, even in off-leash areas. Unleashed dogs may cause bears to mistake them for predators and become aggressive.
Encountering a Bear
In the event of an unexpected bear encounter:
- Maintain a safe distance, especially if it is a mother bear and her cubs.
- Stop, remain calm, and do not face away, scream, or run.
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
- Report aggressive bears or bears causing property damage to the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).
For more information:
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