Stanley Park coyote attack sends 3 to hospital

Parts of Stanley Park have been closed after three people were attacked by a coyote on Wednesday morning.

A coyote bit a man doing yoga at the Prospect Point picnic area around 8 a.m, the BC Conservation Officer Service said.

The coyote then attacked a runner on a road about 200 metres away from the initial attack. A woman who tried to help the runner was bitten on the arm and leg.

1:38 Woman bit by aggressive coyote in Vancouver’s Stanley Park

The Prospect Point area and surrounding trails are closed as conservation officers search for the animal.

Stanley Park has been the site of a number of recent incidents involving coyotes.

There have been at least 18 known biting incidents since December 2020, according to the Stanley Park Ecology Society.

While most of the resulting injuries have been minor, one woman was left with serious damage to her leg and a six-month rehabilitation process.

The society and conservation officers believe the attacks are a result of animals that have been habituated to humans because people are feeding them.

Aggressive coyote encounters should be reported to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.

— with files from Amy Judd