Bear sifting through bins in B.C's Southern Interior (Image Credit: R.D.C.O.)
Managing Attractants
Okanagan residents urged to secure bear attractants
Sep 3, 2026 | 9:20 AM
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Okanagan residents are being urged to secure garbage, pet food, fruit and other attractants as bears enter their most active feeding period before hibernation.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan and WildSafeBC say recent wildfires have disrupted bear habitat and reduced natural food sources, potentially pushing bears into residential neighbourhoods.
Bears enter a period called hyperphagia in late summer and fall, when they can consume up to 20,000 calories a day to build fat reserves for winter.
“During this period, known as hyperphagia, bears consume up to 20,000 calories a day, for rapid weight gain,” said Breanna Scott, WildSafeBC coordinator for the Central Okanagan.
