Burlington coyote attacks the result of human feeding, say experts

A spate of coyote attacks in Burlington are likely the result of humans feeding the animals, according to city officials and wildlife experts.

On Tuesday, Burlington officials told residents to stop feeding the coyotes or otherwise leaving out food the animals can access because it was creating a public safety hazard.

At the same time, municipal staff are asking councillors to approve more than $575,000 in new spending to improve its handling of coyotes, including improved signage, public awareness programs and hiring a private wildlife contractor.

There have been at least six incidents between coyotes and humans in the city in the last six weeks. Four of them involved a person being bitten by a coyote. Each person who was scratched or bitten by a coyote was treated and released from the hospital. No serious injuries have been reported, nor have health officials raised concerns about rabies infections.

Lesley Sampson from Coyote Watch Canada said Tuesday that the coyotes appear to be exhibiting demand behaviour" - they are approaching humans aggressively because they have become used to being fed by them.

This is a real problem and has been a problem for years," Sampson said. People feed the coyotes. We know there are photographers who leave out bait (to attract the animals to take pictures of them)."

Sampson said the behaviour is not that different from what a domestic dog or cat will do to tell its owners they are hungry. However, the coyotes are not pets and their demands for food can take the form of biting.

She said the coyotes don't distinguish between a human who may have fed them and someone who hasn't. They just see humans as a regular source of food.

In a Tuesday news release, the City of Burlington said residents in south central Burlington where the attacks have happened may be indirectly feeding the coyotes.

A bushel of corn and frozen meals have been left out on a roadside marked food donations" next to the Centennial Multi-Use trail close to where the attacks happened, the release said.

This must stop as it is attracting and conditioning the coyotes to be reliant on human feeding, leading to aggression and attacks on residents," the release said.

The first attacks happened on Aug. 21. A woman on the multi-use trail was bitten by a coyote that jumped on her from behind. About two kilometres away, a two-and-half-year-old was bitten on the back of the neck by a coyote that had jumped a fence to get into the child's backyard.

Early in the morning of Aug. 24, a woman was scratched by a coyote in Central Park and another person was reportedly attacked near the park, according to city news releases.

That evening a woman laying on the grass at a city park reported she felt a tug on her hair. When she turned around and saw a coyote, which then bit and scratched her.

The most recent reported incident involved an 82-year-old resident at a Chartwell Retirement home. She was napping in a chair and was awoken by a coyote biting her thigh.

The home's general manager, Nick Holmes, said it is not unusual to see coyotes roaming near the home, but interactions with residents are very unusual.

He said the city has dropped off coyote whistles the residents can use to scare off the animals should they appear again.

After the first three attacks, the city hired a certified wildlife professional" to help manage the situation and locate the responsible animal. The city said it would also find and eliminate any coyote dens in the area.

However, Sampson said hunting for dens will not likely achieve anything. Coyotes only use dens in the spring when they are having pups. When the young coyotes are weaned, the animals leave the den.

If they find any dens now, they will be empty," she said.

On Aug. 24, the city reported that this contractor, aided by police, had killed a coyote.

In its Tuesday media release, the city said the experts from the Ministry of Natural Resources believe the attacks are the work of a family of coyotes and the killed animal was likely the unit's father.

The city would not name the wildlife contractor hired by the city when asked by The Spectator.

City staff have filed a report - to be debated by councillors Wednesday - asking for funds to retain a wildlife expert for two years, as well as post new signs warning people not to feed coyotes and launch a new public awareness program.

Burlington has already spent $22,000 to distribute whistles, hire the contractor, pay for staff overtime and print new resource materials, according to the report.

The staff recommendations are in part based on a report from a citizen's group called Burlington and Oakville Coyote Management, which is calling for better signage, more animal control officers, and better public awareness efforts to keep residents and the animals safe.

Grant LaFleche is an investigative reporter with The Spectator. Reach him via email: glafleche@torstar.ca