Coquitlam's list of banned animals will soon include exotic birds.

On Monday, city council gave three readings to the new Wild or Exotic Animal Prohibition Bylaw and added exotic birds — including macaws, toucans and parrots — to the register.

Under the proposed bylaw, Coquitlam residents and business owners won't be allowed to sell, keep, buy or display exotic animals; but residents who already have them as pets can still have them in their homes until they die or are disposed of.

Those residents are asked to register and submit a photo of their exotic animal with the city should a complaint arise, said Trevor Wingrove, Coquitlam's general manager of corporate services. Violators would face a $500 fine.

Coun. Mae Reid said the city has caught people smuggling exotic animals, which she said are often brought in under cruel conditions. She cited one resident who imported snakes and iguanas, and neighbours complained. She said the bylaw is a matter of public safety and animal welfare.

Under the proposed list, the banned animals include primates (gorillas and monkeys); felids (except domesticated cats); canis (excepted dogs); ursids (bears); elephants; pinnipedia (seals and walruses); alligators; crocodiles; marsupials; snakes (except non-venomous snakes native to B.C.); venomous reptiles; ungulates (except horses, goats, sheep, pigs and cattle); hyenas; mustelines (skunks, weasels, otters and badgers); procyonids (raccoons and coatis); edentates (anteaters, sloth and armadillos); and viverrines (mongooses, civets and genets).

Coun. Linda Reimer opposed the addition of exotic birds to the schedule. Fourth and final reading of the bylaw is expected this fall.

Other Coquitlam news:

PARKS BUCKS

Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart criticized the city for taking $1 million from a reserve to pay for future parks projects.

On Monday, city council voted 7-2 to appropriate the cash from the parkland improvement development cost charge reserve fund for such projects as the Spirit Square, park furnishings and fencing, native species plantings and the Mundy Park disk golf expansion.

The move leaves the DCC reserve fund with a balance of $620,000.

Stewart said DCC money, which is paid by developers, should be spent on infrastructure (sidewalks, curbs, gutters, etc.) — not park-related projects.

"We should be following the letter of the Act," he said.

THE NEW GUY

Kamloops' last city engineer is Coquitlam's gain. Maurice Gravelle was recently hired as Coquitlam's general manager of strategic initiatives to oversee major capital projects, including the SkyTrain expansion; he starts Aug. 10. Gravelle had worked in Kamloops for 22 years.

jwarren@tricitynews.com