Prevent conflicts with wildlife
Learn how you can avoid conflicts with wild animals, from Canada geese to coyotes.
COVID-19 (coronavirus) and wildlife
There is currently no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19, known as SARS CoV-2, is circulating in free-ranging wildlife in North America.
It is possible that a person who is infected with COVID-19 may transmit the virus to wild mammals, including bats, if they come into direct contact.
Please take precautions to avoid conflicts or contact with wildlife to minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19:
- always keep you, your family and pets a safe distance away from wildlife
- do not feed wildlife or touch wildlife droppings
- avoid attracting wildlife and do not accidentally provide them with food, water or shelter (for example, feed your pets indoors)
- always wash your hands and supervise children washing their hands after working or playing outside
- leave orphaned wild animals alone (parents are often close by and will return for their young)
- do not approach or touch a sick or dead animal
The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has issued recommendations to help reduce the potential transmission of COVID-19 from humans to bats. Our prevent conflicts with bats page is updated with these recommendations.
At this time the CWHC has not issued recommendations about reducing the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to other wild mammals. If the CWHC issues more recommendations, we will update our guidance about preventing and managing conflicts.
Wildlife resources
- Harass, capture or kill a wild animal damaging private property
- Prevent conflicts with bats
- Preventing and managing conflicts with birds
- Preventing and managing conflicts with coyotes
- Preventing and managing conflicts with deer, elk and moose
- Preventing and managing conflicts with lynx, bobcats and cougars
- Preventing and managing conflicts with small animals
- Preventing and managing conflicts with snakes
- Preventing and reporting encounters with black bears (Bear Wise)
- Preventing conflicts with beavers
- Wild animal control: information for municipalities