Two coyotes were destroyed after a man and his dog were attacked Tuesday morning near Thibault Park, southwest of Edmonton.
Five coyotes are believed to have been involved in a herd attack on the man and his dog, Troy Courtoreille, operations manager of the animal control park’s rangers ‘peace officers’ program, said Thursday.
Two of the coyotes believed to be involved were killed. The man and his dog were treated for minor injuries.
“Park rangers peacekeepers attended with our contractor yesterday morning. Two coyotes were destroyed, a third was injured and a fourth was chased from the area,” Courtoreille said.
Courtoreille said the attack is very unusual and is believed to be the first of its kind within the city limits. Killing coyotes is the last resort, he said.
Courtoreille said incidents such as Tuesday’s attack are not uncommon.
“This is the first time we’ve had a group attack on a person. There have been encounters with coyote pets. There have been previous attacks on citizens, but they have been relatively minor.”
Troy Courtoreille, operations manager of the Edmonton Animal Control Park Ranger Peace Officers Program, says the coyote population has increased since the pandemic. (Gabriela Panza-Beltrandi / CBC News)
Officers are still investigating what caused the attack, but there are some theories.
It is the night time for coyotes and animals can become more protective and aggressive, especially if the puppies are nearby.
Officers have also received reports that someone may have been feeding the animals illegally.
Illegal feeding may be to blame
According to city regulations, anyone caught feeding wildlife can face a $ 500 fine. If it is known that someone is feeding a coyote that is attacking someone, the person should go to court, Courtoreille said.
Colleen St. Clair, a biology professor at the University of Alberta, said it is rare for coyotes to bite people.
However, he said the bites are occurring more in many North American cities. He said coyote populations are growing and animals are adapting to cities and in turn have more access to food.
“A lot of people feed coyotes unintentionally, without realizing that coyotes are attracted to things like garbage, pets, food, cats in general, bird seeds, compost,” St. Clair.
Courtoreille said the Edmonton coyote population has doubled since the pandemic, from 900 to about 1,500 coyotes.
St. Clair said it’s important to keep coyotes out of neighborhoods.
“Number 1 is to make sure no one in your neighborhood is feeding coyotes,” he said, adding that people should try to scare away coyotes with loud noises to teach them not to approach others.
“The goal is to make coyotes more afraid of people more generally and to make them less likely to approach people, including vulnerable people like young children or people with pets,” he said.
Thibault Park is across from Tomlinson Crescent in the Terwillegar area.