THE z It’s a wrap! STUNTMAN DAVID Jacox takes a fall off his motorcycle in front of the cameras filming the movie ‘‘Broken Badges."’ The stunt VER inst =p Tune into the Cantata Singers in North Vancouver. 48 pages fe eI intents mee at | NEWS photo Terry Peters was filmed in the Jane beside the Shell station on Capilano Road Coyote population ‘critical’ A NORTH Vancouver resident wants (o bring a trapper to North Vancouver to help rid the Twin Lakes area of a coyote problem that he says tions. Rob Metcalfe said he has ex- hausted all other options after contacting North Vancouver District, the North Vancouver SPCA, North Shore Health and the provincial ministry of en- vironment. Metcalfe that one of his three cats, a short-haired, biack and white cat catled Winston, fell miey to a coyote as have other cats in the townhouse development. and the cosotes aren't shy. ae- cording to Metcalie. “Someone else managed to scare one off with a cat ji its yoouth, They've been known to SUSPeRts is reaching epidemic propor- By Elizabeth Collings News Reporter press their faces up against patio windows. “It’s alinost dike a state of siege right now, They (neighbors) just Keep their pets in and take them for walks. If you've ever tried to take three cats for a walk o..7° he said. According to the sice president and public information director ot the B.C. Troppers Association, the covote problem is becoming so large in the Lower Mainland that some of the animals have devel- 11 Seca ed NOW: oped mange, a potentially fatal disease. “That's one of nature’s way of controlling over-population of animals," said Peter Alan. ‘‘f would say the coyotes are ata critical population density at this point."* The covotes susceplble to mange, he said, because their numbers have ex- ceeded the carrying capacity of the land. “They become miulnourished and stressful.” he said, **because they have to hunt harder for their food source." According to the trapper, the disease tukes @ six- to eight-month proxression before it Kills the animal. The first visible symptom of mange is a motley coat of fur on the hind section and tail of the are becoming coyote where mites have burrowed under the skin. The animal usually dies of exposure or secandary in- fections. But although Alan has seen cases of mange in the Fraser Valley. he has thus far seen no cases on the North Shore. Coyotes come under the jurisdiction of the environment ministry’s fish and wildtite branch. But North Shore Health (NSH) has afso received calls about coyote sightings in’ North Vancouver, said NSH en- sironmental cantrol officer Bert Engeimann. “fP wouldn't say we have a large covote population by a long shot, but they are around.”” Engelmann said, adding that there are coyote populations in the areas of Twin Lakes. Maplewood mudflats, Na Soe. X-COUNTRY SK ae some developments in the Doflar- ton area, sections along Mahon Park and Mosquito Creek. Engelmann recommends people reduce outdoor food sources for coyotes such as garbage. Small pets should be kept indoors as much as possible. Meanwhile, in West Vancouver the ministry of environment decided earlier this year to take action to combat the coyote prob- lem following pressure from local residents and the West Vancouver SPCA. This spring, attempts will be made to net covote mothers and pups in their dens in order to relocate them to other areas. But Alan suid he remains skep- tical of relocation. If the animals ure diseased, the problem is trans- ferred elsewhere. yes oo Sree NV IST FEATURE: SEE HE ee hee AOE ME