Residents near Vancouver’s largest urban park may have felt a sense of animosity from the local wild canines during the COVID-19 pandemic. From December 2020 to August 2021, there were a total of 45 coyote attacks on humans in Stanley Park, prompting the B.C. Ministry of Forests and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service to approve the culling of 11 coyotes due to the alarming spike in incidents.
According to Nathan Lewis, a zoology doctoral candidate, coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare. The surge in attacks in Stanley Park was unprecedented, with incidents occurring approximately every six days, a significantly high rate for such a confined area.
A study conducted by Lewis and his team at the University of British Columbia since 2023 aimed to understand why Stanley Park experienced such a surge in aggressive coyote behavior. Their findings, recently published in the scientific journal “Animal Behaviour,” suggest that the increase in aggression was linked to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
During the lockdowns, more people visited the park as social events were restricted, leading to increased encounters with habituated coyotes. These coyotes became accustomed to human presence and no longer perceived people as threats, resulting in the elevated number of attacks.
The study also revealed that feeding coyotes had increased during the study period, despite it being prohibited by a 2024 bylaw in Vancouver. Feeding wild animals can cause them to associate humans with food, potentially leading to aggressive behavior. Following a two-week culling operation in September 2021, two individuals were arrested for allegedly feeding coyotes in Stanley Park.
To enhance public safety, recommendations from the study include keeping visitors away from known den sites to reduce the risk of defensive aggression. It was noted that solo runners were at higher risk of coyote encounters, while those in groups or on bicycles were less likely to be targeted.
Efforts to improve signage and education for visitors were emphasized, with a call for enforcement of bylaws to prevent the need for future culls. The importance of education and enforcement in promoting coexistence with wildlife was highlighted as crucial in managing human-wildlife interactions effectively.