Officials set to trap, kill up to 35 coyotes in Stanley Park

Provincial officials are preparing to trap and kill an estimated 35 coyotes in Stanley Park after a string of attacks on park goers in recent months.

On Friday, the Ministry of Forests said conservation officers had already captured and removed seven coyotes from the downtown Vancouver park since the attacks began late last year, and had made a number of pleas for the public not to feed the animals.

“However, these actions have not been enough to ensure public safety in the park and stronger measures will now be taken,” A ministry statement said.

The ministry plans to trap and kill the coyotes over a two-week period.

The final number of coyotes killed would depend on how many coyotes are living in the park, the success of the traps and whether the frequency of coyote attacks drops.

Live-capture traps will be placed by wildlife contractors working for the ministry and ensures the coyotes are captured alive. The coyotes will then be “humanely” killed.

The results of the trapping effort will determine whether further action is needed.

“The goal of all parties involved will be to make sure that the number of animals do not return to the levels we are seeing now,” said the ministry.

The traps will be active from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., but the location and number of traps is not being disclosed to prevent vandalism.

The Vancouver park board, which manages Stanley Park, has closed the park overnight and erected fencing to keep people out since more attacks were reported.