A Port Coquitlam man had a terrifying encounter with coyotes during a holiday morning walk with his dog. Scott Towers left home around 8 a.m. wearing a blue jacket and carrying a leash for his four-year-old mini-golden doodle, Hazel.
Towers lives just a block from Blakeburn Lagoons Park, a popular area with playgrounds and forested walking trails. As Hazel paused near the park’s west entrance, Towers noticed a coyote emerging from the bushes. Locking eyes with the animal, he slowly backed away while keeping his dog close.
A second coyote appeared moments later, and both began moving toward Towers. “When I turned around and saw them running, that’s when I started running,” Towers said.
The coyotes were about 60 metres behind him, giving Towers just enough distance to sprint home with Hazel. He rounded a corner, passed parked cars, and made a beeline for his yard. Slamming the gate shut with the coyotes less than three metres away, he watched them slink off through a hole in the fence. “This was a full-on chase, like a hunt,” he said, adding that the encounter left him shaken.
Most Metro Vancouver residents know that pup season in spring sees increased coyote activity. However, Stanley Park Ecology notes that late summer through winter is dispersal season, when young coyotes leave their dens and explore new areas.
Home surveillance footage from Towers’ and a neighbour’s yard confirmed how quickly the animals had pursued him. Towers described the footage as shocking, showing the coyotes cutting across yards at high speed.
“I didn’t make the first move, I didn’t provoke them. We stopped and started backing up, then they came after us, and that’s when I ran,” Towers said.
While Towers has seen coyotes before, he noted it was unusual to encounter them during a busy morning. After the incident, he reported it to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
Shortly after, another resident, DeeDee Dunsmuir, also faced coyotes in Blakeburn Park. Walking her chihuahua-mix rescues, Jayda and Nova, she noticed two coyotes hidden in the valley between hills. Picking up her small dog, she left the park safely after one coyote tried stepping into the road. A passing driver helped shield her as she crossed. Dunsmuir later called conservation officers to report the encounter.
The encounters follow recent sightings of a cougar in the park and a viral video showing a black bear chased by two coyotes nearby.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service confirmed it is monitoring the situation but does not track all coyote sightings. Officers have posted warning signs and remind residents to travel in groups, keep pets leashed, and avoid running, which can trigger a chase. Instead, they advise being “big, brave, and loud” to scare coyotes away.
Towers, aware of the recommended safety tactics, said he felt unlucky. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think it would have ended differently if I had tried that tactic,” he said.
