At least one aggressive coyote is still nipping joggers in Stanley Park
There have been more reports of coyotes biting runners and cyclists in Stanley Park, even after two of the animals were captured and euthanized earlier this month.
BC Conservation Officer Service members caught and killed two coyotes in early January, but it appears at least one animal in the park is still attacking humans.
The BC COS received three new reports within the last several days, including one instance where a coyote nipped a jogger’s pants.
“Coyote sightings in the park are not unusual, however coyotes pursuing people is not normal behaviour. This likely indicates the animal(s) have been fed,” the service said in a Facebook post.
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Trails near the Brockton Oval, a grass field surrounded by a running track, have been closed following the troubling coyote behaviour, the Park Board said in a tweet.
There are more reports of coyotes nipping at joggers in #StanleyPark. Rangers are closing trails in Brockton Oval area. Aggressive behaviour is often the result of animals being fed by people. Do not approach or feed them. Report coyote sightings to 311 & https://t.co/uj4UilN2qz
— Vancouver Park Board (@ParkBoard) January 19, 2021
“Euthanizing an animal is a last resort and obviously we don’t want to do that,” Simon Gravel, COS sergeant for the BC’s Sea to Sky area, told Daily Hive on January 12.
“At the same time, we know that the visitors and British Columbians value their safety. They don’t want to go to public trails or the Seawall and expect to be bitten by a coyote.”
The BC COS reminded people visiting Stanley Park that feeding wildlife is both dangerous and illegal.
If an aggressive coyote is approaching, the BC COS advises people to make themselves as large as possible, wave their arms, and throw sticks, stones, or other objects at it.
With files from Daily Hive’s Vincent Plana