Stanley Park reopens to public after coyote cull

A Vancouver Parks worker removes a sign while reopening trails in Stanley Park in Vancouver on Monday. (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)
A Vancouver Parks worker removes a sign while reopening trails in Stanley Park in Vancouver on Monday. (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

Vancouver's Stanley Park has fully reopened to the public after a two-week nighttime closure to cull aggressive coyotes, officials said Tuesday.

The park was closed from Sept. 3 between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. to allow for overnight trapping.

Between December 2020 and early September, 45 people had reported being nipped or bitten by coyotes in the park.

Initially, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said it planned to cull up to 35 coyotes in the park, but over the two weeks trapped and killed only four.

Seven others were killed prior to the closure.

The city says wildlife experts believe there are still coyotes in the park, but that the risk to the public has been "addressed."

Park visitors are advised to exercise caution if they see a coyote. Additionally, officials are reminding people not to feed wildlife and to dispose of garbage properly in garbage bins throughout the park.