Calls to install wildlife-proof garbage bins in Stanley Park
West End resident Kam Li was enjoying the serene trails of Stanley Park when something stopped her in her tracks: a garbage bin filled to its brim.
“I found it was outrageous,” Li said. “I could see juice bottles and food packages. I was also very amazed that the bins were not replaced with animal-proof bins.”
As part of a pilot program, seven wildlife-proof bins were added to the Lost Lagoon and Prospect Point picnic areas two weeks ago.
But Li was baffled by the fact that the majority of trash bins were not changed.
“I don’t know why they are doing a pilot because it’s been more than 10 months that we know about the coyote attacks,” she said. “If they can have money to rent the fences to surround the park, I don’t know why they don’t spend the money more efficiently.”
The fences were erected during a two-week cull in which four coyotes were killed earlier this month.
Since December, 45 people have been attacked and consequently, a total of 11 coyotes have been destroyed.
Li fears those numbers will go higher unless immediate action is taken.
“The (regular) trashcans are easily accessible by coyotes, so I feel instantly unsafe,” she said.
Experts agree that wildlife and human food do not mix.
“It happens quite quickly when animals learn to associate people with food they become very aggressive,” said Colleen Cassidy St. Clair, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta.
“We've shown with some studies in my lab, that the microbiome changes, the gut bacteria of coyotes changes, when they're eating human-sourced food, and some of the changes that occur in these coyotes are similar to changes that have been noted in dogs that cause more aggressive behaviours,” she explained.
Li said that’s exactly why more needs to be done to prevent coyotes from getting into human trash.
The Park Board did not answer questions about how long the pilot will last and what the next steps are.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.