STANLEY PARK NOTEBOOK
/by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge)
TOURING THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE CENTRE
As part of my recent visit to the Vancouver Aquarium, I was also invited to tour the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre (VAMMR). It was both a pleasure and a privilege.
Situated within the Port of Vancouver, this very secure site was donated to VAMMR by the Port Authority. VAMMR pays the property taxes, but the Port of Vancouver leases the space to them rent-free.
Lindsaye Akhurst. (Jacqui Birchall Photo)
My host for the tour was VAMMR’s senior manager Lindsaye Akhurst. Lindsaye has been working at VAMMR since 2006 and her dedication is evident. She works with a very knowledgeable team headed by Dr. Martin Haulena, who specializes in the medical management of aquatic animals and is currently the staff veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium.
The Vancouver Aquarium’s sponsors and donors support VAMMR. People can also financially adopt rescued mammals.
At the time of my visit, there were 25 baby seals and two sea otter pups named Luna and Tofino. Luna, the youngest, was found on Vargus Beach, which is shaped like a half-moon, hence her name. Tofino was found on Wikaninnish Island near Tofino. They were named in a competition.
Volunteer Elliot grooming Tofino (Jacqui Birchall Photo)
Sea otters were hunted to near-extinction in B.C. during the fur trade. They were designated as Endangered in 1978 and again in 1986. In 1996 and 2000 the status of the sea otter was marked as Threatened. Sea otters were designated as a species of Special Concern in 2007 and again in 2022.
Today, oil contamination of their fur from the shipping traffic in B.C. waters is a major threat to the sea otter population. Other threats include strikes from vessels, becoming caught in fishing gear, contamination, and climate change.
Sea otters are the smallest of marine mammals and are members of the weasel family. They are the only marine mammals that rely on air trapped in their dense fur for warmth, as they have no blubber. Their hind limbs are flippers, and their forelimbs allow them to catch prey and crack shellfish with rocks.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, advises that “by eating herbivorous invertebrates such as sea urchins, sea otters reduce grazing pressure and promote the growth of kelp. Because of this effect on community structure, sea otters are considered a keystone species.”
We may see river otters in Vancouver but not sea otters. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans notes that today sea otters can be found along much of the exposed west coast of Vancouver Island and parts of central mainland B.C.
A group of sea otters is called a raft.
Volunteer Natalia grooming Luna. (Jacqui Birchall Photo)
At the VAMMR facility, the sea otter pups spend their early days in a room similar to a nursery. Volunteers groom the pups, much like mother otters would do. As I watched the pups being groomed, it was obvious that they loved the process, sometimes falling asleep. The pups receive 24/7 care from staff and volunteers.
The grooming tables and the sleeping pens are covered in white towels. I remarked to Lindsaye that the laundry bill must be enormous and she shared that a CBC reporter recently made the same comment on the air. The owner of Coast Appliances heard the broadcast and called to offer a washer and a dryer. Both were promptly delivered and installed. Not basic models but top-of-the-line!
Otter pups cannot be released into the wild unless an otter mom is found to teach them all they need to know about how to groom, swim, fish, break shellfish with rocks, and other basic otter skills.
Once the sea otter pups reach a certain weight, a place must be found for them to live. This decision is made between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the senior management and Board of VAMMR, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which represents the best of these facilities.
On August 19, with the approval of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Tofino and Luna were safely transferred to their new nurseries at the Vancouver Aquarium. Lindsay writes that Tofino is settling well into her new habitat where Aquarium visitors may observe her daily. She is currently cared for 24/7.
Luna is behind the scenes at the aquarium under the 24-hour care of the Aquarium’s veterinary and animal care staff. She needs to reach milestones before she can join Tofino and the other sea otters.
Tofino can now be observed on her own webcam. (see “Related Links” below)
Baby seals move through four levels of care. When they first arrive the pups are in a mostly dry enclosure as they sleep a lot. There is water for short immersion periods. All the seals, despite their colour differences, are harbour seals.
The VAMMR receives calls concerning mammals in need of rescue and sometimes fishers bring baby seals in. The seal pups are tube-fed, as this limits human interaction in preparation for them being released into the wild.
A seal release. (Courtesy of Vancouver Aquarium)
A young coyote in Stanley park. (Jacqui Birchall Photo)
ABOUT THOSE COYOTES
The Stanley Park Ecology Society and their partners have asked to share their very detailed research into the coyote population of Stanley Park. Below, we’ve highlighted some misconceptions and realities about coyotes.
Misconception: Coyotes are an invasive species.
Reality: Invasive species are introduced species that cause damage to the local ecosystem, agriculture, or human health. Coyotes were not introduced but naturally expanded their range, arriving in Vancouver in the 1980s. And they don't cause damage to the ecosystem, actually helping fill the niche of wolves that were pushed out by human development. Over half of their diet is made up of rodents, so they are great at controlling rat and mouse populations. It's very rare for them to eat our native songbirds, and you're more likely to see a coyote being harassed by a crow than the other way around! Coyotes also eat invasive eastern grey squirrels, which threaten our native Garry oak ecosystem! There are few native squirrels in the city as they prefer coniferous forests. Most of the squirrels you see in the West End are eastern grey squirrels, including the black ones, which are a colour variant of the same species.
Misconception: The coyote population is growing out of control.
Reality: While some wildlife populations, such as deer, can become too abundant for their food supply, this is not true of coyotes. Coyotes are great at regulating their breeding based on what resources are available. When food is scarce, they have fewer pups, and will not overpopulate an area that can't support their needs. SPES and UBC monitor the coyote population in Stanley Park and there is no evidence that it is increasing.
Misconception: There was a huge coyote cull in Stanley Park in 2021.
Reality: Provincial authorities removed a total of 11 coyotes from the park in 2021. The BC Conservation Officers Service removed seven of them in response to a series of biting incidents in the summer of 2021, and afterwards, the BC Ministry of Forests stepped in and removed four more. The goal was never to eradicate coyotes from the park but to remove the ones that had become aggressive. Coyote aggression is almost always caused by humans feeding them, which was what happened in Stanley Park in 2021. Since the cull, no aggressive incidents have been reported in the park.
Misconception: Coyotes howl when they kill something.
Reality: Coyotes sometimes make a lot of noise; that's why their scientific name means "barking dog!" Celebrating a kill is not something that they make a lot of noise about, though. Such actions could attract competitors that might steal their food! If you hear coyotes in your neighbourhood, it's most likely members of the same family locating or greeting one another.
Misconception: Coyotes lure domestic dogs.
Reality: Domestic dogs can be very curious, and coyotes can be very shy. If a dog hears or smells a coyote and approaches it, the coyote may run away. This is just the coyote trying to get away, it doesn't want the dog to follow. It's important to keep dogs on leash to keep them, other people's dogs, humans, and wildlife safe. It's also important to keep cats indoors or safely contained and supervised outdoors, especially in a city. Domestic cats are more likely to be hurt by a car than by a coyote, and cats pose a threat to our native birds.
Misconception: Coyotes are a major danger to humans.
Reality: Coyotes are naturally wary of humans. They can unlearn that natural fear over time if they are fed, which is why it is vital to never feed coyotes. You can help prevent coyotes from seeing humans as a source of food by securing trash and compost so wildlife cannot get into it, never leaving pet food outside, and collecting ripe fruit and vegetables from your yard promptly, as coyotes will eat those too! Feeding other types of wildlife such as birds and squirrels can make them congregate in one area (such as at a bird feeder or by the benches at Lost Lagoon) where they expect to be fed. This can also attract coyotes, so it's important to not feed any kind of wildlife. Together we can keep pets, humans, and wildlife safe by keeping coyotes wild.
