Wildlife experts are warning West End residents and visitors to Stanley Park to watch out for a problem coyote after it attacked a swan and made off with a small dog.
A coyote took two bites out of a swan in the park Wednesday and nabbed a Yorkshire Terrier that was on a walk with its owner.
The swan was in a Vancouver animal hospital Thursday where it was expected to recover, but the dog couldn’t be found, despite a frantic search through the bushes by its owner and police.
Phil Dubrulle, who coordinates the Coexisting with Coyotes program for the Stanley Park Ecology Society, said there has been a spike in the number of coyote sightings in the West End and in Stanley Park over the last month, likely of the same animal.
He said the animal has become habituated to humans, possibly after being fed directly or scavenging food left out by people in the park.
“It’s out in the open in the daytime. It’s not scared of people,” he said. “When a coyote is fed, it really blends the boundary between it being afraid of people and not.”
Dubrulle is urging residents and park visitors to act aggressively towards coyotes so they don’t lose their fear of humans.
“We tell people to be big, mean and loud and never run away from a coyote,” he said.
Although the animals tend to prey on squirrels and other small mammals, it’s not unusual for them to kill pets.
Dubrulle was more surprised that the wild canine would attack a swan.
“The swan is a big creature, and it wouldn’t usually approach and attack a creature like that,” he said.
Dubrulle said he suspects the coyote may have detected that the bird was sick before attacking.
He said he hopes the animal will not be killed, saying that generally doesn’t happen unless an animal is threatening humans.
“Our preference is to try and educate people to coexist,” Dubrulle said. “Having a coyote in your neighbourhood or park is not a bad thing. They are predating on rodents, they’re keeping that population down.”
Mike Mackintosh, a wildlife specialist for the Vancouver park board, said the Ministry of Environment has been notified of the problem animal.
But he said even if conservation officers wanted to kill it, it would be hard to catch.
“They’re extremely wary, very intelligent, and very fast,” he said. “You can turn around and blink and they’re gone.”
Mackintosh said he believes the animal is healthy.
Vancouver police Const. Jana McGuinness said the woman walking the dog reported the incident to nearby police.
Though officers helped her look for her pet in nearby bushes, it couldn’t be found.
