West Vancouver is home to many wild animals, including raccoons, coyotes, skunks, cougars and bears. Learn what to do to make your home less inviting to them by taking steps to reduce wildlife attractants.
You can do your part to avoid attracting animals to your property and help make our neighbourhood a safe place to live for humans, pets and wildlife.
- Do not feed wildlife: the Provincial Wildlife Act considers it an offence to feed or attempt to feed dangerous wildlife.
- Keep all garbage secure: clean garbage containers and ensure they have tight fitting secure lids or use bear-resistant bins; do not place garbage out until 5 a.m. on the morning of pick up.
- Ensure your compost is working properly: composts that emit strong odours are likely not working correctly; add more brown matter such as soil or leaves, consider adding some lime to aid in composting and reduce odours, do not add meat products to your compost and make sure the lid is secured.
- Pick up all fruit: consider picking fruit before it ripens and ripening it indoors or replacing fruit trees with non-fruit bearing trees; contact a local fruit gleaning group to help collect fruit if you are not going to use it.
- Reduce places for wildlife to hide in your yard: remove dense landscaping or low branches; use small wire mesh to seal off porches, sheds and decks that provide opportunities for hiding or denning.
- Keep wildlife out of your yard: fences kept in good condition, flat to the ground, that are a minimum of two metres tall will limit coyote access into your yard.
- Remove bird feeders: seeds attract rodents such as mice, which then attract coyotes and other wildlife.
- Install motion activated lights or sprinklers.
- Do not leave pets outdoors and unattended: keep your cat indoors and ensure you keep your dog close when on walks.
