What it requires
- A Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) licence is required to capture, handle, relocate, or exclude most wildlife species commercially.
- Relocation of wildlife (moving a captured animal more than a set distance from the capture site) is largely prohibited — research has documented poor survival outcomes for translocated animals.
- Killing most wildlife requires either a hunting licence under the Act's hunting provisions, a specific WCO authorization, or a narrow list of exceptions (e.g., an animal threatening life or significant property where alternatives are exhausted).
- Raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and most bird species cannot be killed by a homeowner in most circumstances.
- Migratory bird species (most songbirds, waterfowl) are further protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act — destruction of active nests is a separate federal offence.
- Bats are protected — they cannot be killed or relocated; exclusion is the only legal option. Colony exclusion outside of maternity season is tightly regulated.
Who it affects
- Homeowners encountering wildlife on their property
- Pest control and wildlife management companies
- Property managers responsible for wildlife issues in buildings they manage
- Hunters, trappers, and farmers (separate provisions under the Act apply)
Penalties for violation
Violations can carry fines up to $100,000 and/or up to one year imprisonment for the most serious offences. Killing a protected or endangered species carries significantly higher penalties.
How The Wild Pest complies
Our day-to-day practice under this regulation.
The Wild Pest operates under Wildlife Control Operator licensing for all wildlife work. We do not relocate wildlife — exclusion (with galvanized hardware cloth, one-way doors, and seal-work) is our standard approach for raccoons, squirrels, skunks, birds, and bats. We do not perform wildlife work during baby-season (March–July for most species) in ways that could trap or separate dependent young. For bat work specifically, we follow the BC-wide Bat Maternity Season protocol and do not perform exclusion from May through August.