Drew Enright was outside his home on Marcel Street around 12:30 Sunday morning when his neighbor’s small dog first spotted the coyote. “He ran into the bushes and out came a coyote with unfortunately the dog in his mouth. [The coyote] he ran down the street,” Enright said. “It was a sense of disbelief.” When Enright and his neighbors ran down the street to catch the coyote, the animal was already gone. A coyote was reported in the school yard at École élémentaire catholique George-Étienne-Cartier and Pauline Vanier Park on Monday afternoon. Both are in the area of the attack, near Walkley Road and Airport Parkway. A coyote mauled a small dog near Stansted Park early Sunday morning. (Giacomo Panico/CBC)
Not the 1st attack
Sonya Monaghan, who also lives in the area, said she and her husband Geoff Penton saw a coyote walking down the street with a cat in its mouth in late August. “My husband and I ran outside to chase it, thinking we might throw it at the cat, but no such luck,” Monaghan said. “It just went up the road, around the corner and into McCarthy Woods.” WATCHES | Residents say the brazen coyote worries about their pets and small children:
Residents say the brazen coyote worries their pets and small children
Riverside Park South residents are sharing their encounters with a particularly bold coyote, which has been preying on small pets in the neighborhood. Coun. Riley Brockington says he’d like to see a better coyote strategy from the city. This was not their only encounter with a coyote. On Monday morning, Penton spotted one of the animals walking in the middle of Marcel Street. “I ran outside, grabbed a baseball bat for whatever reason and started yelling ‘Coyote! Penton said he takes extra precautions because they have a new puppy: whenever he takes his pup out late at night, Penton takes a baseball bat with him. A resident took this photo of a coyote in Riverside Park South on August 23rd. He walks down the street with an unknown animal in his mouth. (Is provided)
The consultant calls for a new approach
According to River ward Coun. Riley Brockington, the town needs a new strategy to deal with coyotes.
“There’s a concern in the community about coyotes being in close proximity to people and just the sheer number of sightings that we’ve had, particularly in the last eight weeks … now they’re in the residential communities and they’re not showing any fear of people,” Brockington said.
Brockington believes the city needs to implement a more proactive strategy to deal with aggressive coyotes. (Giacomo Panikos/CBC)
Brockington said he started talking to the city manager a few weeks ago to ask for a much more proactive approach.
“Right now, the city is better prepared if there are moose or bears in the neighborhoods, but not coyotes,” Brockington said.
Coyote sightings within Ottawa city limits have become common, but residents fear the aggressive behavior of at least one of the animals warrants immediate attention.
In the meantime, Brockington is reminding residents to keep pet food, bird seed and even fallen fruit, such as apples, away from coyotes.
Cats should be kept indoors and dogs should always be on a leash, she advises.
