A woman was the victim of a coyote attack in Vancouver's Stanley Park Friday night, and the encounter left her with scratches on her back and shoulders.
The Conservation Officer Service said Saturday via a social media posting the attack took place at about 10 p.m. along a walkway near the cannon on the east side of Stanley Park.
The coyote attacked the woman from behind and clawed her upper back and shoulders.
Attacks by "aggressive" coyotes in the sprawling popular landmark park have been rampant of late; a week prior to Friday's attack, a woman jogging along the seawall suffered minor injuries after she was bitten on the leg by a coyote.
The July 22 attack came a week after four coyotes were captured and killed using "soft foot-hold traps." The recent action taken by the Conservation Officers and the City of Vancouver followed the news of a two-year-old girl also being bitten in the park. The COS has since reported the coyote responsible for the attack on the toddler was among the four killed.
Following Friday night's attack, the COS says it will be "focusing trapping efforts to specific areas to minimize the chances of catching a non-target coyote," adding that "any coyotes captured that do not match the profile of the offending animal will be released."
Conservation officers warn there is an ongoing high risk of encountering an aggressive coyote in the park.
Earlier this year, V.I.A. spoke with the Stanley Park Ecology Society to get tips on dealing with coyotes in Vancouver. The COS also offers safety tips online, and urges people to report aggressive coyote encounters to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
With files from Elana Shepert and Cameron Thomson
