[Daily Life in Canada] My Morning Rabbit Chase & Wildlife in Vancouver, BC

 

This morning, while dropping off my child at school, a wild rabbit hopped across the street. Unfortunately for the rabbit, it headed straight toward the school just as the doors were about to open. The kids poured out and completely surrounded it!

With a fence behind it and a crowd of excited children in front, the rabbit frantically darted back and forth before finally managing to escape. That little guy definitely got a serious morning workout today!

📌 Table of Contents

• 1. The Morning Rabbit Chase
• 2. What Kind of Wildlife Lives in Langley, BC?
• 3. Bigger Encounters: Bears and Deer in Coquitlam
• 4. How Canadians Coexist with Wild Animals

1. The Morning Rabbit Chase

It's always fascinating to see how close nature is to our daily lives here. Watching the kids interact with the rabbit (even if it was a bit stressful for the bunny) reminded me of how wildlife is just another part of our neighborhood.

2. What Kind of Wildlife Lives in Langley, BC?

In the Greater Vancouver area, different neighborhoods have their own frequent animal visitors. Here in Langley, where my family currently lives, it's incredibly common to see rabbits, coyotes, raccoons, and skunks. I think I've seen all of them by now, except for a skunk.

Coyotes usually roam around alone near dusk. At first glance, I thought it was just a large stray dog, but the cautious, alert way it looked around as it walked gave it away. Raccoons, on the other hand, look incredibly cute but I've heard they can be quite fierce.

💡 Wildlife Tip: While coyotes generally don't attack humans unless provoked, raccoons are known to strike first if they feel threatened. Always keep your distance!

3. Bigger Encounters: Bears and Deer in Coquitlam

Before moving to Langley, I lived in Coquitlam. Since it's located right against the mountains, I had the chance to see much larger animals.

A regular guest in our old neighborhood!

Once, while casually driving through my neighborhood, I bumped into a black bear. Over the three years I lived there, I encountered bears about three times. A friend of mine who still lives there says they see one almost every week!

Also, on my way back from a lake trip, I spotted a deer. It was so massive that for a split second, I mistook it for a horse. My wife and I were completely caught off guard, but it was absolutely beautiful to witness.

I also remembered seeing a family of deer roaming on the streets when we visited Banff National Park. Since it was past October, we didn't spot as many animals as we hoped, but I'm really looking forward to the wildlife we might encounter on our upcoming cross-country road trip to Ontario!

4. How Canadians Coexist with Wild Animals

Back in Korea, seeing animals usually meant visiting a zoo or a specialized farm. But here in Canada, spotting wild animals is just a regular part of daily life. Since kids grow up seeing them around, having wildlife in the neighborhood feels completely natural.

What’s truly fascinating is that even when dangerous animals like bears or coyotes appear, people don't immediately try to trap them or build heavy barriers.

Once, a bear was spotted in a park right next to our neighborhood. Instead of blocking off the park, the city simply put up a warning sign saying it was a "Bear Area." In some regions, cougars (mountain lions) appear, and the response is exactly the same: just warning signs.

When I first moved to Canada and heard there were cougars nearby, I was absolutely terrified. But to Canadians, coexisting with wildlife is just a given. Often, a bear wandering into a backyard and knocking over a trash can is treated as more of an annoying chore than a terrifying emergency. It’s just one of the unique charms of Canadian life!