Stanley Park coyote warnings remain as Vancouver Aquarium reopens

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Vancouver Aquarium is fully reopening on Monday, but concerns about coyotes and potential attacks remain in Stanley Park.

Many people, including children as young as two and five, have been attacked in the area around the popular attraction in recent months.

Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Tricia Barker is reminding people to be alert and to obey signage in the park.

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“There are going to be a lot of people around that area and I’m sure they’re going to be taking extra care, making sure everyone is safe as they get to the aquarium,” she told NEWS 1130 Monday.

“We’ve got the signage up everywhere. If you go through the park, it is everywhere about what to do, what not to do, where to go, where not to go. We’ve got also the fire safety signs and the cycling signs — all that stuff is up.”

She says she was surprised to see how many people were out Monday morning, adding many “didn’t seem to be bothered by the signage.”

The BC Conservation Officer Service says there have been more than 30 coyote attacks at Stanley Park in the past several months.

Concerns forced the Vancouver Park Board to close trails along the west side of the park in July and earlier this month.

@_BCCOS officers are patrolling the area and attempting to capture the coyote involved in the incident. Rangers are reminding visitors that dogs must be on leash in the park. Animal control officers are patrolling the area to remind people that off-leash dogs antagonize coyotes.

— Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (@ParkBoard) August 12, 2021

-With files from Dean Recksiedler