Senior becomes latest victim of aggressive coyote encounter in Vancouver's Stanley Park

Vancouver -

A 69-year-old man has become the latest person bitten by an aggressive coyote in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said the senior was walking along a trail near Second Beach when he was attacked at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Conservation officers have strongly recommended that people stay out of Stanley Park until the coyote situation is resolved, and repeated that warning in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

"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 wrote.

Tuesday's victim is the sixth person to report being attacked by a coyote in the park since Aug. 10, when a five-year-old boy was bitten near Prospect Point. There have been dozens more encounters with aggressive coyotes reported since December.

Conservation officers have already trapped and killed several of the wild animals, but the attacks have persisted.

So far, there's been no clear indication what's causing the coyotes' aggressive behaviour.

Authorities suspect the animals may have become conditioned to human food after being fed by park visitors, while one coyote expert from the University of Calgary recently speculated the animals may be ingesting toxins or drugs.