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Wildlife in Nelson
The City of Nelson, nestled in the remote Selkirk Mountains, offers a unique opportunity to live harmoniously with nature. As residents, we share a responsibility to coexist mindfully with our natural surroundings, including the diverse wildlife and ecosystems that thrive here. The Municipality and residents are committed to preserving our wild, beautiful environment.
Together, we work to prevent harm and foster peaceful, mutually beneficial coexistence with wildlife.
Bear Awareness and Wildlife Coexistence
All About Bears: Bears are an integral part of life in Nelson, and together we can help keep them safe and wild. Here are some essential facts about bears and how we can peacefully coexist with them:
- Behavior, Diet, and Seasonality: Bears are omnivores, meaning they eat a variety of foods, from plants like berries and roots to small game. They are opportunists and will seek out easily accessible food, especially during key times like spring and fall when they are preparing for or emerging from hibernation. Bear season in Nelson runs from April to November; during this period, managing your attractants is crucial.
- Human Impact: Bears are highly intelligent and have a remarkable sense of smell, which can lead them into urban areas if attractants like garbage, pet food, and birdseed are available. They learn to return to reliable food sources, so reducing these attractants is essential to keeping them safe and away from residential areas.
Other Wildlife in Nelson
While bears are a prominent presence in Nelson, they aren’t the only wildlife we share our community with. Residents may also encounter cougars, raccoons, skunks, rats, and other species. Many of the same attractant management tips that help keep bears safe—like securing garbage, feeding pets indoors, and harvesting fruit—also help reduce conflicts with these animals. By practicing wildlife-smart habits, we protect both our neighbourhoods and the natural ecosystems around us. Visit WildSafeBC.com for species-specific coexistence tips.
Managing Attractants
Managing your attractants is the single most crucial action in ensuring wildlife safety in our community.
What are attractants? Attractants are anything that draws wildlife such as bears, rats, skunks and racoons into human spaces. These can be food sources like garbage, fruit trees, and compost, or even non-food items like plastics with food residues.
At Home:
- Secure Your Waste: Keep garbage and recycling in a secured building, not on your patio, porch, or next to your home. Ensure it is only placed at the curb on collection day. See the city of Nelson's Collection Calendar.
- Clean BBQs: Burn off excess grease and food particles after each use to eliminate smells.
- Pet Food: Feed pets indoors, and avoid leaving pet food outside.
- Store Gardening Products Indoors: Keep fertilizers, compost, and other gardening materials secured inside.
- Freeze Smelly Garbage: To reduce odors that might attract wildlife, consider freezing particularly smelly waste (e.g., meat scraps) until collection day.
In Your Yard:
- Composters: Backyard composters are highly attractive to bears. Consider replacing them with bear-resistant alternatives, like the FoodCycler, or using the RDCK’s organics drop-off locations.
- Fruit Trees: Harvest fruit a few days before it ripens, and ensure all fallen fruit is picked up regularly.
- Bird Feeders: Remove bird feeders during bear season.
- Wildlife-Attracting Plants: Avoid planting fruit trees, berries, or other wildlife attractants like mountain ash.
At Work:
- Wildlife awareness doesn’t stop at home. If you manage or work at a business or restaurant in the City, you must comply with our Waste Management and Wildlife Attractant Bylaw to ensure safe practices.
Municipal Actions for Wildlife Safety
The City of Nelson takes wildlife safety seriously, particularly amid increasing pressures from growing wildlife populations. Here are some key initiatives we’ve undertaken:
- WildSafeBC Partnership: The City has been a proud sponsor of WildSafeBC since 2014, providing valuable education and resources to the community.
- Bear-Proof Bins: We have facilitated bulk orders of bear-proof residential garbage bins for residents at a reduced cost, with orders placed in 2017 and 2024, circulating almost 330 bins in total.
- City Garbage Bins: The City of Nelson is proactively upgrading park garbage bins with bear-proof containers, which began in Lakeside Park. In 2024, 42 bins were replaced, continuing a project that spanned the last three seasons and resulted in over 70 replacements citywide. Every park, including the City campground, now features bear-proof containers. Furthermore, two additional bins were installed at City Hall. The City plans to continue these upgrades until all bins are replaced. In 2025, the city is replacing downtown garbage bins with bear-proof containers.
- Garbage Collection: Until the bear proof bins are installed downtown, Public Works will collect garbage from the downtown bins twice daily, and three times during special events, to minimize attractants.
- Bylaw Enforcement: The Nelson Bylaw team will educate and enforce wildlife attractant management in our community. The Bylaw team is committed to protecting our wildlife in partnership with local BC Conservation and WildSafeBC.
- FoodCycler Program: Nelson has launched a first-of-its-kind pilot program to help residents manage with their wildlife attractants. Sign up to start diverting food waste at nelson.ca/organics. The pilot program evaluation will guide future decisions on residential organic waste diversion.
- Fruit Tree Removal: The city has been proactively removing all fruit trees on City property that are reportedly attracting wildlife. If you see a tree on City land that is attracting wildlife, please report it to Nelson Public Works or WildSafeBC nelson@wildsafebc.com or 250-551-6376.
How to Report an Issue:
Here are some quick facts on how to report a wildlife issue in Nelson.
Myth: Reporting a bear or other wildlife sighting will destroy the animal.
Fact: Early reporting helps prevent conflict through education and enforcement, and is one of the best ways to keep both people and wildlife safe.
- Bear Sighting? If you see a bear in a residential area, notify WildSafeBC. They will help alert nearby residents to secure their attractants and reduce the chances of an encounter. Contact the Nelson WildSafeBC coordinator at nelson@wildsafebc.com or 250-551-6376
- Dangerous Wildlife: For immediate threats, such as a bear in compost or garbage, or a cougar in a residential area, call the Conservation Officer Service (COS) at 1-877-952-7277. Early reporting helps ensure safety for both residents and wildlife.
- Dangerous Attractants: If you notice improper storage of garbage or other attractants, contact the City of Nelson Bylaw Office for enforcement. Contact the Nelson Bylaw Services at bylawenforcement@nelson.ca or 250-505-5666.