"There was much less activity by people everywhere, but it was quickly followed by a lot less activity on roads and a lot more activity in parks," she said.
In Edmonton, where St. Clair works at the University of Alberta, she said human visitation to parks increased four-fold throughout the pandemic, and she suspects Vancouver saw a similar jump.
Signs are posted near closed trails after a series of coyote attacks in Stanley Park either this month. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
"That might increase their tendency to be territorial, especially in a high-quality territory, like one where people are providing food or where there's just a lot of prey," St. Clair said.