Merritt has been quiet for large animal activity so far this spring, which is a good thing for the provincial agency that monitors human-wildlife conflict.

WildSafeBC co-ordinator Emily Lomas said though there haven’t been many reports of wildlife conflicts in Merritt this year, the most common reason wild animals come to town is because of improperly stored garbage.

In May, local conservation officers received a report of a bear in the Collettville area, which they suspect returned from last year. A culvert trap was set but not successful in catching the animal, and they believe it’s since moved on.

Lomas said it’s important to secure attractants before there is an issue as bears can and do return to the same areas where they get rewards — natural or unnatural.

Other attractants include pet food and livestock feed, and livestock itself.

Lomas said elsewhere in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, black bears have been attracted to garbage, unclean barbecues, pet food and outdoor freezers.

Wolf and cougar reports are commonly linked to livestock or the presence of deer.

Coyotes have been reported stalking pets in some areas. Lomas advised pet owners to keep an eye on their animals, keep their food inside, and to discourage deer from becoming too comfortable living close to livestock.

Merrittonians can also store garbage in an inaccessible location, such as inside the home, garage or shed, or in a bear-resistant garbage can.

Waiting until the morning of garbage collection to put your trash out can also reduce the chance of a bear finding it.

Strong-smelling waste can be frozen before it goes curbside to reduce its attractiveness to bears, and compost should be mixed regularly or treated with lime to avoid getting too smelly.

Wildlife sightings or conflicts can be reported to the Conservation Officer Service’s hotline at 1-877-952-7277.

Sightings in the area are reported on WildSafeBC’s Wildlife Alert Reporting Program online at https://warp.wildsafebc.com.

For more information or tips on reducing attractants, visit www.wildsafebc.com.