­Wildlife

Coyote in the woods looking at the camera

Port Moody is surrounded by forested mountains, a marine inlet, and green corridors that link them together. In places like this, encounters with wildlife are common. Managing wildlife interactions is essential to stay safe and avoid damage to home and property. 

Community certifications

Port Moody is proud to have certifications that demonstrate our commitment to wildlife conservation and education regarding bats and bears. 

Bat-friendly community

As a bat-friendly community, the City is committed to bat habitat conservation and education. 

Bear Smart Community

In 2024, Port Moody earned the Bear Smart Community designation. The Bear Smart Community Program is a voluntary, preventative conservation measure that encourages communities, businesses, and individuals to work together to reduce conflicts with bears. The program is designed by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, in partnership with the Union of B.C. Municipalities, and is based on a series of criteria that communities must meet to achieve Bear Smart status. 

The City has implemented various strategies and policies to minimize conflicts with bears, with the goal of reducing risks to human safety and private property, as well as the number of bears that have to be destroyed each year. Visit the Bear Essentials page to learn about ways to keep both humans and bears safe. 

Wildlife in Port Moody

Community Bat Programs of BC Logo

Bats provide important services and support healthy ecosystems in Port Moody and throughout Canada. In the Lower Mainland, bats play an important role in controlling insect pests that can harm our forests, crops, and people. There are 17 species of bats in B.C., and around nine species found in Port Moody. This includes Little Brown Myotis (or 'Little Brown Bat'), an endangered species under the federal Species at Risk Act.

Bat populations around the globe are in decline as they face several threats, including habitat loss, impacts associated with climate change, pesticide use, noise pollution, vehicle collisions, predation from cats, collisions with wind turbines, and white-nose syndrome.

For an introduction to bats in British Columbia, watch this 2023 YouTube video by BC Nature and the BC Community Bat Program.

Bat packs

Port Moody Public Library offers Bat Packs for loan. You can find more information about them on the Port Moody Public Library Webpage.  

How you can help bats

  • Contact the BC Community Bat Program if you have bats in your house, shed, or property.
  • Landscape with native plants, including species that flower at night and other species that support pollinators.
  • Consider adopting naturescape principles in your yard.
  • Build and maintain a bat box, following best management practices.
  • Remove invasive plant species - especially Burdock, which can trap bats, frogs, and small mammals.
  • Keep cats indoors or within outdoor enclosures (cats are the #1 predator of bats!)
  • Reduce light pollution.
  • Participate in community science initiatives like BC Annual Bat Counts. 

Other resources 

Bat FAQs

Do all bats have rabies?

Less than 1% of bats in B.C. are known to carry rabies.  

What should I do if I find a dead bat?

If you find a dead bat, report it to 1.855.9BC.BATS (1.855.922.2287) or environment@portmoody.ca. Some dead bats are collected for scientific research or for rabies testing.

What should I do if I have been bitten or scratched by a bat?

If you have been physically contacted by a bat, call your physician or public health office.

What should I do if my pet has been in contact with a bat?

If your pet has been in physical contact with a bat, call your veterinarian. 

What should I do if I find a bat roosting outside?

If you find a bat roosting outside, please leave it alone. It might be waking up from hibernation.

Do our local bats drink blood?

All B.C. bat species are insectivores, meaning they consume insects - not mammal blood!

Known for their creation of large wetland complexes, North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are ecosystem engineers and a keystone species. Because of their ecological role, beaver dams are protected under the BC Wildlife Act and Water Sustainability Regulation.  

In response to beaver activity in Port Moody, Council has endorsed a beaver management plan that promotes co-existence, outlines best practices, and addresses risks and liabilities associated with flooding, property damage, ecological impacts, and human health and safety.  
 
The plan balances the needs of beavers, fish, and other wildlife with the need to protect public safety, civic infrastructure, and public and private lands. It recommends strategies that use alternatives to relocation or lethal trapping whenever possible. 
 
The plan includes a decision-making framework and a diagnostic key to help guide the City in making informed decisions and taking appropriate actions in response to beaver activity. It addresses the unique challenges and opportunities of co-existence within an urban context, and include a protocol for regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure the City takes a comprehensive approach to co-existence. 

Many bird species can be found in Port Moody. This includes both resident species that are here year-round, and migratory species that are here seasonally. The general bird nesting period is March 1st to August 31st, when bird activity is high. Bird nests, eggs, and young are protected under the BC Wildlife Act and federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

Bird nests do not only occur high up in trees, as many bird species in Port Moody nest on the ground, holes in trees, or in shrubs at waist height. Bird nests are designed to be unnoticeable, and so extra care should be taken during the general nesting period to avoid disturbing or destroying nests.

Avoid tree and brush clearing activities during the general nesting period wherever possible, and ensure that you comply with the City's Bird Nest Protection Policy. If you locate a nest, keep your distance and do not disturb it.

Canada Geese

Non-migratory Canada Geese were introduced to our region and the number of them has increased drastically over the last few decades. They can leave large amounts of fecal matter on grass, docks, and paths. This poses a health and safety risk for residents. They can also become aggressive and territorial.  

Geese are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. However, the Act recognizes that there are times when issues caused by them must be addressed. 

Great Blue Heron

Port Moody is home to a Great Blue Heron colony along the Shoreline Trail by Old Mill Park. The colony consists of 10-20 nests that are reoccupied or reconstructed each year. During the early stages of nesting, herons may be especially sensitive to noise disturbance from machinery or other loud activities. The heron nesting period is longer than the typical songbird nesting window, extending from January 15 to September 15. A heron's diet consists largely of fish, and may include shellfish, amphibians, and small mammals. 

Black bears are a common sight in Port Moody. The Bear Essentials Program provides education and awareness on how to minimize adverse human-bear interactions. 

If you encounter a cougar, you should stay calm and back away slowly.

In late winter/early spring cougar sightings increase in Port Moody as their preferred prey, deer, spend more time in urban areas. Here are some tips to stay safe and avoid negative encounters with cougars.

  • Keep dogs on a leash and under control at all times
  • Keep house cats indoors at all times
  • Remove bird feeders or shrubs that may attract the preferred prey of cougars (deer, raccoons, etc.) to your yard
  • Be alert and make noise when walking in forested settings 
  • If you do encounter a cougar, never run. Instead, turn and face the animal, use jackets/back packs to look as big as possible, and back away slowly.
  • If the cougar appears to be stalking or following you, yell and throw objects such as rocks/sticks.

Report any encounters or sightings in an urban area to the RAPP (Report all poachers and polluters) line at 1-877-952-7277

For more information about how to respond to a cougar sighting, follow the BC Human – Wildlife Conflict guidelines.

Coyotes are well adapted to living in urban areas. They are naturally timid but may act aggressively if they become too comfortable with people. With a few simple actions, you can help reduce conflict between people, pets and coyotes:

  • Be big, brave and loud. Scaring coyotes helps them retain a natural fear of people
  • Never feed coyotes. Coyotes that are fed by people can become bold and aggressive and may have to be destroyed. Keep a secure lid on your garbage and compost, do not leave pet food outside and pick your tree fruit before it falls
  • Pet safety. Keep dogs on a leash and cats indoors, especially at night

If the coyote does not run away or acts aggressively towards you:

  • make eye contact and face the coyote, while slowly backing away
  • pick up small pets or young children

fish sign

Local salmon-bearing streams are identified by yellow signs throughout the City. Contact the Provincial Emergency Program number 1-800-663-3456 to report any situation that may compromise the health of the stream. You can also contact the City Environment Division at 604-469-4574.

If you find an injured or distressed seal or marine mammal, please report it to Marine Mammal Rescue: 604-258-SEAL (7325). Do not touch or attempt to feed the animal. DFO’s Marine Mammal Regulations require a safe distance of more than 100m from marine mammals 

Contact Us

Environment 
100 Newport Drive
Port Moody, B.C.
V3H 5C3
604.469.4628
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