Coyote bites 2 people during early morning picnic in Stanley Park

Vancouver -

Conservation officers are warning the public yet again about the threat of aggressive coyotes in Stanley Park after two more people were bitten early Monday morning.

Authorities said two friends were having a picnic in the south end of the park at around 1:30 a.m. when a coyote attacked them. Each victim was bitten on the leg.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service did not provide any further details about why people were having a picnic at that hour, but urged the public to keep out of Stanley Park until the coyote situation is resolved.

"If you are in the park use abundant caution, as there is a high risk of encountering an aggressive coyote – particularly during dawn or dusk hours, when coyotes tend to be more active," the BCCOS said in a Facebook post.

Conservation officers announced the latest attacks on Tuesday evening, and said they were unable to follow up on the report immediately due to a delay in reporting.

Five people have been attacked in the park since Aug. 10, when a five-year-old boy was bitten while out with his family near Prospect Point, and there have been dozens of reported incidents involving aggressive coyotes since December.

The attacks have persisted even after conservation officers captured and killed several of the wild animals.

It's unclear what's causing the coyotes to confront humans in the popular walking and biking destination, but conservation officers have said they suspect a contributing factor could be people feeding the animals.