By Staff
September 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a fourth coyote killed earlier today.
No mention as to where the killing took place just that it was “·stalking and chasing people. It has been eliminated because it was aggressive, not afraid of humans or showing normal coyote behaviour.”
The good news is that there are now people in place and able to move quickly to solve the problems.
The question is – how many more are there behaving aggressively?
We apparently don’t know.
So, I have been reading about “people feeding the coyotes”. Has anybody actually been caught doing this? Or it theory only from the animal people. I cannot imagine anybody actually feeding them. But do opine… if they are living in close contact with humans in south Burlington, that any fear of humans will diminish with exposure.
In the 40+ years I’ve lived in South Burlington, I’ve seen many coyotes–I’ve even been near a den with pups. I’ve NEVER had a coyote approach me–mostly they just walk away. At the den, the female did not attack although when I approached within 30 feet, the coyote beared her fangs as I slowly moved backwards away. Coyotes aren’t in Burlington because they enjoy living in proximity to people, they are here for the abundant prey that lives within the town. So if they are approaching people, my view is that some individual coyotes have learned to associate people with food (they are being fed).
What is normal coyote behaviour? They all need to be culled. They are a relatively new hazard.
We also do not know what real measures are being taken to stop humans from feeding. Who had been fined? How many? They are also responsible.
Editor’s note: Fines ranging from $5000 to $100,000 are expected to do the trick.
Fines are fine. But I to not believe anybody has actually been feeding them. Anybody?
All I understood was, that it was possibly happening. Blame shift it to the public, but cold weather is on the way, might be driving them. Or they are just getting used to humans and as predators, are naturally thinking we fit below them in the food chain. Without natural predators their numbers will increase. Until food and habitat limitations forcibly holds back the population. Or nature provides a disease vector of some sort to moderate their numbers.
Well prior to the attacks or any of this, I have seen them in neighbourhoods and crossing New St. around the creek at Nelson H.S.
Editor’s note: City staff have visited with people at their homes urging them to not feed the coyotes. One is reported to have told the staff person that they had no right to tell him what he could and could not do. It wasn’t until people were attacked that the city realized the situation was now out of hand and that drastic and direct action had to be taken. So now we kill the animals. The big questions: Did we get them all?
So glad to hear that people are now in place. Hopefully, this will address the problem in an effective manner.
I spoke with a long term licensed wildlife removal professional in my neck of the woods. He was trying to live trap a raccoon which is a laugh.
He suggested that the cities have become wildlife sanctuaries especially its the activists among us.
He went on to say there are hundreds of coyotes in berms etc along our communities and figured he knew where the next attack would be. He has no interest in working with the City. He will remain nameless.
Coyotes get a bad rap in this city. They don’t urinate on my lawn!