B.C. conservation officers are searching for a coyote they say attacked four unhoused people in downtown Prince George in the early hours of Tuesday morning (Sept. 26).
The Conservation Officer Service says there were no life-threatening injuries, but three of the victims were sent to hospital for medical attention. All four people were bitten in the area of Parkwood and Connaught Hill sometime between 3:45 and 4:30 a.m.
The service says it believes the attacks were the work of a single coyote. It says coyotes aren’t typically aggressive though, and this behaviour is likely the result of people feeding it, whether intentional or not.
Officers weren’t able to find the coyote Tuesday morning, but continued to patrol the downtown for it into the afternoon.
Coyote attacks have been reported elsewhere in B.C. this month, too. In Mission, nine people were bitten in the span of a week before conservation officers killed the coyote they believed was responsible. Even then, they said aggressive coyotes likely remained in the area.
In September 2021, the Vancouver Park Board temporarily closed access to Stanley Park overnight, because coyote attacks had become so frequent.
COS recommends people in Prince George leash their pets, consider keeping cats indoors and travel in groups, while officers search for the aggressive coyote. The City of Prince George says Connaught Hill Park will remain closed Tuesday.
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