As most of us have been cozied up at home, avoiding going out too much, animals around the area have been getting increasingly explorative, if not aggressive. Quite a few people have been harmed, and quite a few animals have been assuming that less humans equals more roaming, which has gotten some into trouble. In Vancouver, we aren’t unfamiliar with wildlife strolling into town, but the amount of stories coming out of our interactions with them has been astonishing. If you’re often out exercising on your daily jog, a scenic hike, or just a stroll through Stanley Park, you might want to reconsider the amount of protective equipment you have on you, or just leave the outdoors activity to the hardcore enthusiasts. Coyotes, bears, cougars and moose are the topic of discussion today, along with a couple extras. Lets take a look into the stories of BC’s wild side shall we?

Starting in Stanley Park, Coyote attacks have been rampant for cyclists, joggers, and casual strollers alike. Around a couple dozen people have been attacked by this point, and almost daily reports of them have come in from visitors of the area. These events have prompted closure before, so it would be best to stay on your toes and keep updated through the Vancouver Parks Board’s twitter page. Many people have been bitten, and others scared out of their wits, such as Bernie Steininger, who had to use the “get big and loud” strategy to scare it off. Along with an unfortunate jogger, Azi Ramezani, has been hurt so badly she is now in a six month recovery period, as she was severely bitten on her calf, and detached her hamstring from her sit bone as she fell. There are many stories of visitors being attacked, but it’s scary to see just how bad it can get. If no help came along to assist her, or the coyote hadn’t run off after it’s initial attack, it could have been much worse. A sad amount of pet dogs have also been lost to coyotes and cougars, as a couple of each predator have been put down for the safety of the communities around them. It’s sad to hear about wild animals being put down, but many believe the problem stems from those who may be feeding them, directly or indirectly, so it is our responsibility to ensure we don’t increase their dependency on us. For the well-being of those who wish to visit the park, and the animals’ habitat. You can report feeding of animals to 1-877-952-7277, or file a report online here.

Moving onto bears, an ex-conservation officer who refused to kill two bear cubs in 2015 attempted to appeal to get his job back, to little success. The mother of the cubs was put down due to her invading residences, but the cubs showed little evidence of doing the same, so he believed he was in the right in having the choice to spare them. However, Bryce Casavant was still decommissioned, and is in a legal battle for over 5 and a half years just to get his job back. And recently in march, he has filed a lawsuit against his unlawful decommission. While there is no direct need for officers to euthanize wildlife, and as an officer, he has a right to choose whether to kill or not, making this layoff seemingly unjust. The cubs named Athena and Jordan, were re-released and are hopefully still kicking, but we have yet to see if Casavant will be back at work soon. Hopefully, this ethical decision will fall in his favor sooner rather than later. Bears have been more rampant overall around the area, as a family friend of mine has just spotted one by her home yesterday. Looking at the numbers, there have been over 21 thousand black bear attractions to garbage between just 2014 and 2018. I’d be worried about what those numbers could look like just for this year. So lets ensure we keep our outdoor refrigerators locked tight, garbage bins sealed, and on a sharp lookout for any lost cubs that may be in need of a friendly conservation officer.

Moving onto our more domestic creatures here in Vancouver, Vancouver Aquarium has just been sold off to Herschend Enterprises, a theme park in the US in order to save the animals and employees working there. With a lack of tourism, and the pandemic increasingly choking out possible revenue for the aquarium, Lasse Gustavsson, the CEO of the Ocean Wise Conservation Association, was left with either selling it off, or closing it down. And thankfully, they were able to keep it afloat for awhile longer. There are some concerns about selling the aquarium to a for-profit organization, but we shall see how it plays out when they open their doors back up as soon as possible. For all you fans of aquatic life, it’s good news that you will be able to return to seeing the wonders of underwater creatures once again.

Over in Prince George however, a wild moose has been spotted grazing on trees outside the airport, for several weeks at that. Quite the buffet for the creature, as it happily ate away. It took many people to try and coax the moose back out into the wild, and it while it was happily eating away, it too wanted to find it’s way back home from the fenced airport property. Moose populations have been declining as well, so ensuring the safety of it was a top priority. Thankfully, nobody and no moose were harmed during this event. Ending our stories with a home invasion in Kamloops however, a deer was just itching to get in on a poor families home as it somehow squeezed through a small dog door to sneak inside. It caused a fair amount of damage, jumping at windows, and damaging a TV with a few other items caught in the chaos. The deer thankfully was removed unharmed besides a small cut to it’s mouth, as it was slid on a rug right back outside. Hopefully, these stories have opened a few of your eyes to the potential dangers and value of the wildlife we are fortunate to have here in Vancouver. Once again, stay safe, keep alert, don’t litter, and if you’re going to try and enjoy your weekend outside, keep updated on sightings of wild animals in your area. Thanks for reading, and lets help protect what makes BC so great!