#Canada
A mystery surrounding the increasing number of coyote attacks in Vancouver Park
Coyotes hunt and bite record numbers of visitors in a popular Vancouver park, in a wave of mysterious attacks that baffled experts and divided the city. In the roughly nine months since December 2020, 40 coyote attacks have been reported in Stanley Park, including one last week in which a 69-year-old man was bitten in the leg while walking on a trail. So far, no one has had a fatal accident. That is four times as many attacks as the last 30 years combined.
"In a normal year, there is no contact between coyotes and humans," said Nadia Xenakis, urban wildlife program coordinator at environmental firm Stanley Park. Even in aggressive years, behavior can largely be traced back to the animal's breeding season. The 1,000-acre park on the city's north coast, heavily wooded with old cedar and cypress trees, is home to skunks, raccoons and about 12 coyotes. "There's a lot we don't know about coyotes in the park. We don't know about their genetics, whether there were crosses or what they eat," she said. "We don't know if a coyote does that. We euthanized six - and if anything, the frequency [of attacks] has increased."
Xenakis speculates that a number of factors contributed to the aggression, including the feeding of "wild" wildlife by residents and more visitors invading all parts of the park. "In fact, there is no wildlife zone without human contact," she said. Coyotes have long been present in parks but now attack children and adults. Most of the attacks take place at the northern end of the park - known as Prospect Point - with others near the seawall that flows into the forest.
While habituation to human food is the leading theory for abnormally aggressive behavior, some suggest that food or waste consumed by coyotes – or even opioids – may provide an explanation. None of the euthanized coyotes tested positive for rabies or plague. Some groups are calling for more coyotes to be killed, while others want them to be protected. "There's a lot of extremism on both sides," Xenakis said. Park staff are unsure what role the pandemic might play.
"We can't say whether this unprecedented event happened at the same time as another unprecedented event," she said. "We just don't know."
Employees have closed parts of the park and warned visitors not to repeatedly feed the animals. "I think it's an animal and human problem," Xenakis said. “And people have to follow the rules. I see people hurting them every time I walk into the park. And if they continue to do this, unfortunately, we could see these attacks continue. "
24/8/21
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