Fish & Wildlife

Interior Health is warning people in the Kootenay Lake region to avoid contact with skunks after rabies was confirmed in an animal in the area.

B.C. has issued a second protection order for the Salmon River as low water levels threaten more than 200 chinook salmon.

Bears have been much more active in and around Castlegar this year compared to last, according to the local WildSafeBC co-ordinator, but none have been destroyed.

The Sinixt Confederacy says there is more evidence Chinook salmon released upstream of the Grand Coulee dam will spawn successfully on the Canadian side of the Columbia River.

Hunters can now apply for the 2026 limited-entry hunting draw, with new regulations affecting several hunting opportunities in the Kootenay region.

Drivers in the Kootenays face a heightened risk of wildlife collisions in May and June, as increased deer and elk activity coincides with seasonal changes in driving conditions, Road Safety at Work said.

A British Columbia fishing guide has been fined $12,000 after being caught with too many fish and providing false documents to federal officers, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Thursday.

The Canadian Agricultural Review Tribunal has overturned a $10,000 penalty issued to Universal Ostrich Farm, ruling the Canadian Food Inspection Agency failed to properly serve a quarantine order following a December 2024 avian flu outbreak. 

WildSafeBC is warning residents of the Kootenays about an increase in reported cougar activity, noting some of the animals are showing unusually bold behaviour.