People carrying umbrellas walk on the seawall in Stanley Park as a container ship is seen in the distance docked beneath gantry cranes at port, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. Conservation officers are scouring the park for a coyote that bit a young boy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
August 12, 2021 - 7:30 AM
VANCOUVER - Conservation officers are scouring Stanley Park in Vancouver for a coyote that bit a young boy.
The Conservation Officer Service says in a statement that the five-year-old was bitten on the leg Tuesday night.
The statement says the boy had run ahead of his family while they were visiting Prospect Point.
His parents were able to scare the coyote away and the youngster was not seriously hurt.
It's the latest in a series of confrontations between humans and coyotes in the park, with most nips on passing joggers.
However, a two-year-old was bitten last month and needed hospital care.
Conservation officers say there is a high risk of encountering an aggressive coyote in Stanley Park and urge the public to stay out of the area or use caution especially at or after dusk.
At least four coyotes were destroyed in the park last month. The statement says conservation officers continue to work with wildlife biologists, park rangers, area organizations and the city to consider all options to reduce conflicts with the animals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2021.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2021