Two of Stanley Park’s iconic Lion statues were vandalized over the weekend, causing an outrage within the community.
A pedestrian noticed the vandalism on Saturday and called the police immediately. One of the two lions was missing a face, while the other had serious damage on its nose and paws. Both lions are located on Stanley Park Drive near Prospect Point, and not the larger ones that guard Lions Gate Bridge.
John Coupar, the Vancouver Park Board commissioner described the situation as disappointing.
“ It’s a random act and an unfortunate act, and it’s just one of those things that shouldn’t happen that does happen,” he told CBC News. “We’re all saddened by it, but we’ll do our best to make it right.”
The Vancouver Park Board is still determining how much the repairs will cost and how long they will take. Sadly, this is the second time lions at the park have been vandalized in the past four years.
Below is a tweet from Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert showing some of the damage to one of the lions.
@CityofVancouver two lions above the causeway have been vandalized. Not the lions by the bridge. pic.twitter.com/0GsJI6RhQf
— S Chandra Herbert (@SChandraHerbert) March 29, 2014