Just as we have started to get antsy and stir crazy during these last months, so has the wildlife. Due to the reduced amount of people wandering the streets and parks during the pandemic, it has made wild animals more adventurous and curious to wander into our neighbourhoods. There have been increased reports of animals being found in parks, attacking pets and venturing beyond their usual territories. It is unusual behaviour for some of these animals, especially as they are showing no fear of humans.

All over the world, there have been incidents of wild animals fighting over discarded food on the streets and potted plants, as some of them have grown accustomed to being fed by humans and no longer have easy access to food. These occurrences have even started happening in our very own neighbourhoods in Vancouver and makes me question whether it is safe to walk my dog in secluded parks or at night. Coyotes have started to show a new level of aggression over the past few months, attacking pets on leashes and even biting humans walking at Stanley Park. This continues to be a problem as more than 13 people, some bicyclists and joggers, report being chased by coyotes. It is important than while these animals start to show more aggression due to the change in our territories and lack of large crowds in parks, that people stop trying to feed them and instead try to scare them off.

As soon as provincial parks were closed early on in the pandemic, wildlife began responding to this change almost instantaneously. A resurgence of bears tearing through garbage cans, coyote attacks and even cougars. This is especially terrifying for those of us who depend on daily walks to get out of the house or having defenceless pets to walk every day. Not knowing the right protocol for when or if you encounter one of these wild animals can be turn a harmless walk in the park into a moment of life or death.

It is terrifying to think that wild animals are becoming more comfortable venturing into our neighbourhoods, and showing less fear at the sight of humans tracking them or coming near them. Teenagers and pets being hunted by cougars on their walk home is enough to scare us all into not leaving our homes. We can choose to see that as motivation to follow protocols and not gather in large crowds. However, it is sad how many wild animals are now being euthanized when they are spotted in areas of the city where they should not be. There should be better protocols when these instances occur, like relocating these animals to further expanses of land where they won’t find their way back to us. It has spurred some controversy on whether wild animals should be euthanized at all and questioning the ethics behind these protocols. Thousands of animals face this fate for simply crossing over into urban neighbourhoods searching for food and it calls to question the state of the wildlife if their only source of food is near civilization.

As things start to go back to normal, and we begin to go back to our day-to-day activities, the Nature Conservation of Canada believes that wildlife will begin to retreat back to their normal territories and the resurgence of crowds in parks and neighbourhoods will scare them away. As a wildlife conservation activist, i can only hope that we find better methods in dealing with these situations and more humane ways to ensure they remain away from civilization.