Two arrested for allegedly feeding coyotes the day Stanley Park reopens

Two Lower Mainland residents have been arrested by BC conservation officers, and had their vehicle seized, for allegedly feeding coyotes in Stanley Park on the day the park was reopened to the public.

This incident comes after a weeks-long operation involving the BC Ministry of Forests and the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) to reduce aggressive coyote encounters in the park.

The park was fenced off as conservation officers trapped and killed four aggressive coyotes.

• See also:
  •  Majority of Vancouver residents support capture, cull of Stanley Park coyotes
  • Coyote attack tally hits 45 as Stanley Park nightly closure is expected to last weeks
  • Stanley Park to close at 7 pm every night due to coyote attacks

On August 31, the Vancouver Park Board made the decision to close Stanley Park every night at 7 pm in an effort to reduce the number of aggressive coyote encounters with the public.

The Park Board and BCCOS stated that the main reason so many people were getting attacked by coyotes was due to the animals being food-trained; feeding a coyote lowers the animal’s natural fear of humans.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the BCCOS reminded the public that feeding dangerous animals is a violation of the Wildlife Act.

The BCCOS also stated that due to the misinformed actions of some residents, 11 coyotes had to be killed.

The BCCOS will continue to investigate and take enforcement action when warranted, but is asking anyone who has information related to events like these to call the Report All Poaches and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-7277.