Wildlife

Please contact Fish & Wildlife for any wildlife concerns

If you encounter a bear or other wildlife that may be a public safety concern, call the 24-hour Report a Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800.

Bears in our neighbourhoods 

Our friends at Fish and Wildlife are hearing more and more reports about bears in residential neighbourhoods. With winter on the way, bears are looking for as much food as they can find before hibernation. We need to help bears NOT associate humans with with food — for our safety and theirs:

• put waste, recycling and organics carts out in the morning, not the night before
• keep compost indoors; outdoor compost attracts bears
• remove bird feeders when bears are active (Apr 1-Nov 30); clean up any spilled bird seed
• clean your barbecue: scrub after each use, store in a garage or shed
• consider removing fruit trees and berry bushes; pick the ripening fruit as early as possible, store in secure, airtight containers
• never leave food out for wildlife
• let your neighbours know if you've seen a bear nearby; talk to them about being BearSmart at home

More: https://www.alberta.ca/living-with-wildlife.aspx

Coyotes in Cochrane

Seeing or hearing a coyote is a common occurrence in Cochrane. They are a sign of a healthy ecosystem and control the population of other wildlife, like rodents.

Here are some tips for living together with coyotes:

• Clean and maintain bird feeders and fruit bearing trees and shrubs
• Put your waste, recycling and organics bins out the morning of collection (before 7am)

For pet owners: 

• Clean up after your pets – dog poop attracts coyotes
• Do not leave your pets food or water bowl outside 
• Keep your cats indoors
• Don’t leave pets unattended in your yard
• Keep dogs on-leash except in designated off-leash areas

Keeping pets away from coyotes keeps them safe. For more info on responsible pet ownership: Animal Bylaw 04/2016

More info on coyotes: https://www.alberta.ca/coyotes.aspx