City officials reported the latest attack in a news release Sunday, saying it happened at a home on Lakeshore Road near Tuck Creek around noon Saturday. They said a person was resting in her yard when a coyote bit her on the knee. He was later taken to hospital for treatment. The city said the smaller sandy coyote involved in the “unprovoked” attack is believed to be the same dog responsible for the sixth incident. This attack occurred on September 10 at a nursing home, where an elderly resident was injured. The resident was sitting on their front patio, relaxing, when she was awakened by a coyote biting her hip. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. That prompted the city to activate its Crisis Management Team to deal with the incidents, which were first reported last month. One of the victims was a two-year-old boy who was on a backyard deck when a coyote grabbed him by the neck and tried to drag him away. The city said the cluster of incidents are the first recorded attacks on people in Burlington, calling them “uncharacteristic.” In light of the attacks last month, the city even offered residents coyote whistles to help them “fog” any canines they might encounter, hoping to re-instill the animal’s fear of humans. The city said there is an ongoing effort to hunt and suppress coyotes. “City of Burlington Animal Services personnel are conducting ongoing joint operations with the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) and Certified Wildlife Control Professional in the attack areas to locate and eliminate coyotes. Residents may see this neighborhood multi-agency task force and it is critical that residents do not interfere with these operations,” the city said in the press release. “The increasing challenge is that coyotes are no longer burrowing this time of year and are more mobile.” While the coyote responsible for the first three attacks have been “eliminated,” officials said those involved in the recent incidents are believed to be from “a family of aggressive coyotes in south central Burlington.” The city is monitoring areas in south central Burlington where many neglected properties are located and could be an ideal place for aggressive coyotes. Experts from the Department of Natural Resources and Forestry who met with Burlington officials this week to discuss the situation are convinced the attacks stem from coyotes “accepting humans as a food source,” the city said. “This learned behavior creates an environment where wildlife is conditioned to be comfortable with direct human interaction and may depend on humans for food,” the city added, urging residents not to feed wildlife. Zoe. “Once a coyote crosses the line of acceptable interaction with humans, the coyote must be euthanized in the interest of public safety due to a non-starter situation.” The city is asking anyone who is attacked by a coyote to seek immediate medical attention and report the incident to the Halton Regional Health Department and the city’s animal services at 905-335-3030 or [email protected]
