Woman fined $3.5K for attracting coyotes in Stanley Park

A sign warning people not to feed wildlife is seen at Stanley Park after numerous people have been attacked by coyotes, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A Lower Mainland woman has been handed a $3,500 fine for leaving materials in Vancouver’s Stanley Park that could attract coyotes, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service.

Kemthong Clasby pleaded guilty to one count of leaving matter to attract dangerous wildlife and received the penalty in Vancouver Provincial Court on Tuesday.

Kemthong and her husband Terrence Lee were charged under sections of the B.C. Wildlife Act in October 2021. The charges included counts of feeding or attempting to feed dangerous wildlife and leaving attractants at a site, according to online court records. The records state the offences happened between September and October of that year.

From August to December 2021, 45 people were reportedly attacked by coyotes in Stanley Park, according to BCCOS. As a result, 11 of the animals were trapped and killed.

“The unprecedented string of attacks impacted public safety, led to widespread community concern, closures of the park and financial impacts to businesses,” BCCOS wrote in a social media post Tuesday.

The service said conservation officers spent hundreds of hours patrolling the park in the wake of the attacks.

It added that COs identified the pair allegedly feeding the animals and seized “hundreds of pounds of dog food and a car used during the offences” while investigating.

BCCOS said $2,500 of the fine will be donated to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

“Feeding dangerous wildlife contributes to the domestication of these animals, which can significantly impact public safety, as was in this case,” said Insp. Simon Gravel with BCCOS, in the post. “The Conservation Officer Service appreciates the dedication of our officers that led to the successful conclusion of this court case.”