Urban Wildlife

Raccoon in Stanley Park In Vancouver, there are plenty of opportunities to see wild animals venturing into gardens or down a busy road. From garbage-raiding raccoons to skunks under your shed, frequent contact with humans makes these animals bolder. Conflict between people and wildlife in the city often results when urban wildlife lose their fear of humans and begin dwelling on people’s property.

If you are having problems with your wild neighbours, please see our Other Wildlife resources for low-cost, humane methods for successful co-existence. If you have encountered a sick or injured animal, you can contact Wildlife Rescue Association of BC.

SPES runs a variety of birding programs and is working closely with a variety of partners on Vancouver Bird Week celebrations taking place each May.

Our Co-Existing with Coyotes program aims to reduce conflict between people, pets and coyotes through research, education and advocacy.

Spotted Towhee in Stanley Park

SPES – working for wildlife

SPES seeks to inform the public about wildlife management and works to enhance natural habitat for some the animals that co-exist with us on a daily basis. We currently have active projects involving the monitoring and management of wildlife including Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles nesting in the city. We also work regularly with the Vancouver Park Board to provide information for the successful management of wildlife through Best Management Planning.

Report Wildlife Feeding

Wildlife feeding in Stanley Park is a significant and long-term issue. Wildlife fed by humans become all things we despair to see in them: unhealthy, dependent, vulnerable to predators, and possibly aggressive. The “rewards” of easily-sourced food are greatly outweighed by behavioural changes they undergo, and we end up debilitating a wild animal for the rest of its life. Secondary impacts include compromising their habitats with rotting food, unintentionally feeding other dangerous wildlife, and indirectly causing harm to another person if a fed animal learns to be aggressive.

Please use this form to report observations of direct or indirect wildlife feeding in Stanley Park (or other public spaces). These reports help us to learn more about the frequency and degree of wildlife feeding in these areas, both to inform our public education strategies as well as advise authorities in charge of management and enforcement.

Name
E-mail*
Phone Number
Date of Observation*

The date you observed the wildlife feeding action or evidence
Time

: HH

MM

(In 24-hour format) The time you observed the wildlife feeding action or evidence
Type of Observation*
- Person/s throwing out food to wildlife
- Person/s hand-feeding wildlife
- Food intentionally left out for wildlife
- Neglected food waste attracting wildlife
Wildlife Being Fed
- Birds (songbirds, waterfowl, etc.)
- Coyotes
- Raccoons
- Squirrels
- Other (describe in "Details" section)
Please list the wildlife species you think were being fed in your observation
Location*
Please provide one of the following: landmark, place name, cross street, or map coordinates in decimal degrees. Coordinates are best for accuracy – you may use Google Maps to obtain these. Kindly include more information in "Details" if necessary.
Details

Please describe what you observed. Include details that best inform park management and enforcement.
Media File
Drop files here or
Please share an image or video of the observation. By submitting, you are giving non-exclusive permission for Stanley Park Ecology Society to use content for educational and reporting purposes
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.