Who is to blame for aggressive coyotes in Stanley Park?
It’s now been two weeks since the Vancouver Park Board and provincial officials erected a bright orange fence around Stanley Park to try and deal with aggressive coyotes.
When the plan to cull the animals was first announced, B.C.'s Ministry of Forests said professional contractors would be trapping up to 35 coyotes in the park.
So far, four coyotes have been caught and euthanized. In an emailed statement Friday, the ministry said it's "possible there may be less coyotes in the park than anticipated.”
Edward Kroc is an assistant professor of measurement, evaluation and research methodology at the University of British Columbia, and specializes in urban ecology.
“I would put the majority of the blame directly on the park board,” he said. “Presumably they have resources, they have money. I don’t know what they’re using it for but they are clearly not using it to maintain a healthy park, in terms of a healthy ecosystem, at all. It's basically just been a garbage pit for people to play in.”
As far as the province is concerned, Kroc says it’s “absurd” that officials don’t know how many coyotes are in the park.
“The cull should be halted and they should actually go out and study the population that they’re killing,” he said.
CTV News asked the Vancouver Park Board how much money has been spent so far on the coyote management project. An emailed response had no firm figure but said “most of the costs (which are minimal at this point) have been incurred within the last few weeks."
As a comparison request, CTV News was also provided the cost of the temporary Stanley Park bike lane, which came to $815,000 for public surveys, consultation and implementation. The lane is set to be removed in October.
Board Commissioner John Coupar has long been against the temporary bike lane and said the money spent on it was “unnecessary” and “wasteful.”
Coupar is also critical of Park Board Chair Camille Dumont. Dumont put forward the bike lane motion, and Coupar said he has also failed to handle the coyote issue.
“I would suggest the chair of the park board, who’s a member of the Green-COPE alliance on the park board, should have been more visible to the media and more visible to the public,” he said.
CTV News reached out to Dumont for comment, but did not hear back by deadline.
When asked if the park board was responsible for the coyote situation getting to the point of the animals needing to be culled, Coupar said the province should have stepped in sooner.
“Our job isn’t wildlife management, that’s the province, and even the ticketing and all that, that’s the province wildlife officers,” he said. “It’s really not the mandate of the park board to control wildlife in Stanley Park, never has been.”
No on from the Ministry of Forests was available for an interview Friday. In its statement, the ministry said the coyote traps will be “locked down and de-activated” over the weekend due to the weather, adding more information will be coming early next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.