Coyotes are out foraging for food for their cubs

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – With spring right around the corner, people in Metro Vancouver have an increased chance of encountering coyotes.

Madeleine Irving Chan, with Stanley Park’s Co-existing with Coyotes program, says that’s because coyote moms and dads are out foraging for food for their young ones.

“They typically come out in the evening or overnight, but it is possible that you can see them anytime of the day,” she says. “They tend to prefer open spaces.”

She says coyotes can become aggressive, like the one spotted in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood a couple of months ago.

“That coyote was definitely being fed, so it was losing its fear of people,” she says. “And then it was approaching people, probably looking for food by getting uncomfortably close.”

Chan says that if you see a coyote, don’t run away from it. Stand your ground and make yourself as big as possible, and make sure to keep your pets leashed when out for a walk.

Chan says if they are minding their own business, there is no reason to fear them.