Late night coyote attack reported in Vancouver’s Stanley Park | CBC News

The conservation officer service says that because the report of the attack was delayed, they were unable to follow up immediately. 

Since December 2020, there have been at least 34 coyote attacks in Stanley Park. 

Officials are “strongly” urging the public to stay out of the park, and for those that choose to go there, they advise caution. The conservation officer service says there is a high risk of encountering an aggressive coyote. 

They said coyotes tend to be more active during the dawn and dusk hours. 

Human behaviour not helping, prof says

Kristen Walker, assistant professor in the Applied Animal Biology Program at UBC, says humans are in large part to blame for the park attacks.

She told CBC’s The Early Edition on Wednesday that despite signs warning where not to walk or picnic in the park to avoid the animals, she often sees people hanging out in those danger zones — some with small children.

Walker also said people have been vandalizing the warning signs, as well as cameras set up on the trails that are critical for researchers, like herself, who are trying to determine what has triggered so many violent encounters.

People also continue to leave garbage out and actually feed the coyotes, which Walker said is a recipe for disaster.

“If somebody has been feeding them in the park and they’re used to having that kind of hand food and they’re not getting it at that time, that’s when you can see that type of aggression happening,” she warned.

Officials are asking anyone who encounters an aggressive coyote to report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.