On Sunday, Bryan Adams tweeted his opposition to British Columbia’s plan to trap and kill wild coyotes in Stanley Park.
The “Summer of ’69” and “Run to You” singer shared on social media that the culling of the animal could lead to a “knock-on effect” resulting from the removal of a species from its natural habitat.
Adams stressed that a similar move led to the wiping out of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the western United States. “They had to rewild them back to balance the ecosystem,” he added with the hashtag “#banthecull” for emphasis.
The provincial government announced on September 3 that due to the rising number of coyote attacks in Stanley Park, it could cull an estimated thirty-five of these wild animals in the coming weeks. More than 40 of these attacks in Vancouver’s largest urban park have been reported to the authorities in the past nine months.
According to a statement by BC’s Ministry of Forests, more drastic measures have to be taken since fencing and closing the park every night did not stop the coyote attacks from taking place. The ministry also emphasized that it has a reasonable belief that the attacks are “food-conditioned,” which scrapped the plan of non-lethal removal and relocation altogether.
An online petition dubbed “Save Vancouver’s Coyotes” was initiated almost immediately after the BC provincial government announced the culling of wild animals. Animal activists describe the move as “inhumane” and pushed for more compassionate treatment for the coyotes.
As of Sunday afternoon, the petition has gathered over 12,500 signatures so far.
Moreover, Twitter user Sarah Blyth announced on Sunday that a vigil for the coyotes in Stanley Park is scheduled to be held on September 14 from 10 AM to 2 PM. While Blyth encouraged individuals to “come see leg traps, bring a sign, and let out your frustration,” she also advised to “mask up” since it is planned to be a “COVID safe event.”
