Nearly 40 reported coyote attacks in Stanley Park since December

Aggressive coyotes continue to be an issue in Stanley Park.

There were multiple attacks last week and the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) says there have been nearly 40 attacks since December 2020.

Six coyotes have been killed by the COS in that time, two in January and four in July, but it’s a problem that isn’t simply going away.

Efforts to reduce coyote conflicts in the park continue, with the COS and Vancouver Park Board working alongside other area organizations to find a solution.

While conservation officers have spent hundreds of hours patrolling Stanley Park, they continue to urge the public to avoid the area and to use abundant caution if using the park.

The COS made a social media post this morning, which answers a number of frequently answered questions regarding the coyote situation in Stanley Park.

Many have asked why the coyotes aren’t just culled or why the park hasn’t been closed, but those decisions aren’t up to the COS.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is responsible for wildlife management, while the Vancouver Parks Board makes the decisions on closing the park.

As for enforcement within Stanley Park, conservation officers continue to patrol the area, but have no authority to enforce an overnight closure of the park.

However, the COS will ticket anyone feeding dangerous wildlife in Stanley Park as part of its enforcement response.

There’s also been questions about why the COS isn’t killing all of the coyotes that are being trapped, even if they don’t match the profile of the offending animal.

“The COS has put down six coyotes to date and will continue to reduce the numbers of coyotes based on positive identification of the animal as responsible for the attack,” the service emphasized.

“Management of the coyote population in the park is the responsibility of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.”

The big question, however, is why is this happening, because the COS clarified that it is not normal behaviour for coyotes to pursue people.

“Aggressive behaviour towards people is usually the result of the animal becoming comfortable due to being fed, either directly or indirectly, by people,” the post explained.

“We cannot stress enough the importance of not feeding dangerous wildlife, as coyotes that have lost their fear of humans are a public safety risk.”

People are encouraged to keep reporting aggressive coyote behaviour to the RAPP line, but the long-term plan is less clear.

For now, the COS continues to urge people to stay out of the park and officers will keep patrolling the area and do what they can to reduce coyote conflicts.