Police Shoot and Kill Coyote in North York School Yard

By: Stephen Brown

Toronto police have shot and killed a coyote in a North York school yard. The coyote had been sighted early this morning by a caretaker, who called and made police aware of its whereabouts. The coyote was sitting alongside a fence just outside of Hollywood Public School when officers shot and killed the animal. It remained there for about an hour while officers cleared the yard and any portable classrooms of staff and students. This after two people were bitten by a coyote in Bayview Village Park just north of Sheppard Avenue on Sunday. The area of the school where the animal was trapped was approximately 500 metres east of Bayview Village Park.

 

Toronto animal services and a Toronto police task force were on location all day yesterday to track and capture the coyote. Toronto Police said,

“On arrival, it was determined the coyote was believed to be the same one that had attacked two people this weekend. There were concerns the animal would continue to roam and from a public safety standpoint, a decision was made to put the animal down.”

Toronto police put out an advisory for people to avoid the park altogether until the situation had been resolved. Toronto police say that coyotes biting or being aggressive towards humans is not typical, but this is the third incident reported this year. In July, a 10 year old girl in Scarborough was chased by a coyote while walking her dog. That same month, a six year old girl was bitten in Oshawa.

We reached out to a Facebook group called Coyote Watching in Toronto and got a response from a biologist, who has studied the behaviour of coyotes. “These are not attacks, they are exploratory bites from a coyote being fed by humans. Coyotes do not attack people for no reason, nor do they bite. It is important to distinguish the difference, which media rarely does as “attack” gets more views.”

The city of Toronto’s website says that sightings of coyotes in the winter months are more typical of their behaviour and that people who live near ravines and forested areas should be conscious of this. January and February are mating season and because of this, they can become more active and more sightings will occur. They recommend to avoid feeding wild animals or domestic pets outdoors, to always supervise and leash pets, and to remove any dense brush or possible hiding spots on your property.

If you encounter a coyote it is advised that you wave your arms emphatically, and make loud gestures towards the animal. To report a coyote sighting, you can call 311, or 416-338-PAWS (7297) or email animalservices@Toronto.ca or fill out an online form.