‘Use the park at your own risk’: Half of Stanley Park closed due to coyote attacks

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Half of Stanley Park in Vancouver has been closed due to coyote attacks — the most recent sending a toddler to the hospital — and conservation officers are urging everyone to stay away.

The BC Conservation Officer Service says there have been 30 attacks causing injury to humans in the past eight months.

Sgt. Simon Gravel says the two-year-old who was attacked Monday night while leaving the aquarium with her family had bite marks on her neck and head, as well as scratches on her arms. She is now recovering.

But Gravel says anyone who goes to the park should expect to be approached by an aggressive animal, and the safest thing to do right now is to avoid the area.

“If you choose to use the park. It would be at your own risk. It’s impossible for us to protect the public from such a coyote attack. They are everywhere right now, the attacks are random in time and location. It is a very difficult situation to address. It’s unprecedented,” he says.

“We cannot close the park for logistical reasons it would be very, very complicated. But if you’re not willing to expose yourself to such an encounter, you should avoid the park.”

All trails on the west side of the park are closed to the public, but it appears the seawall remains open. Roads are also open.

The West side of Stanley Park is closed at the moment (marked red on map) as conservation officers are working in the area to locate the aggressive coyotes in the area. @VancouverPD pic.twitter.com/Sd2fn5SP2P

— VPD Mounted Unit (@VPDHorses) July 14, 2021

Gravel says the fact that there have been 30 attacks does not mean officers are looking for 30 separate coyotes, noting a recent incident where a single coyote bit three people in a span of 10 minutes. However, he confirms they are looking for multiple animals.

“We know for sure that at least six coyotes were involved in some aggressive attacks that caused human injury,” he says. “Those would be the coyotes that would be targeted.”

Related articles: 

• 2-year-old attacked by coyote in Stanley Park

• Three people bitten by ‘aggressive’ coyote in Stanley Park

• ‘Do not run’: Wildlife expert’s advice after coyote attack at Stanley Park

Two coyotes were located and euthanized in January, but officers haven’t been able to find or capture any animals since.

Gravel says the possibility of “population control” for coyotes in the park is being discussed, but that drastic action such as a cull is something that multiple experts and agencies would have to decide on and authorize.

“We’re doing everything we can, we want to remove those coyotes that are attacking people. We’re here today to do so. But we also looking at long-term solutions as to how we can keep the balance between the conservation of a population of coyotes in the park, and public safety,” he says.

“We’re looking at the possibility of population control, it’s on the table, everything’s on the table at this point.”

Gravel says it’s possible a small group of animals are suffering from a “pathology” or have become too habituated to humans, but that there are “a lot of potential contributing factors, and a lot of unknowns still at this point.”