Posted with permission from the Hamilton Spectator
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Coyote experts say there is no reason to suspect the animals are in greater numbers or more aggressive this year in the Hamilton area, even after a couple of local incidents.
October 30th, 2018 The Hamilton Spectator
Theron Wood's golden doodle, Holly was attacked and killed by coyotes last Tuesday. - Cathie Coward/ Hamilton Spectator
A coyote spotted near Pier 8 and the outdoor skating rink along Hamilton's waterfront in January 2017. - Barry Gray, Hamilton Spectator file photo
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Coyote experts say there is no reason to suspect the animals are in greater numbers or more aggressive this year in the Hamilton area, even after a couple of local incidents.
On Oct. 16, a goldendoodle dog was attacked and killed off the Bruce Trail, on the escarpment near Scenic Falls. The 10-year-old dog named Holly had gotten off her leash before getting into a confrontation with at least two coyotes.
And then on Oct. 25, a 10-year-old boy was jumped from behind by a coyote on the Waterfront trail of the Beach Strip. The boy's mother, Tammy Aquin, says the dog didn't bite him, but stood on his chest for a few moments and showed its teeth, before the boy punched the dog and it ran off.
The boy, Ethan, did not require medical attention, she said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources says coyote numbers do not appear to have substantially increased in recent years. Based on reports from deer hunters, a spokesperson said, numbers peaked "in 2009 or 2010 and since then numbers seem to have been relatively stable or declining slightly across most of southern Ontario."
A spokesperson from Coyote Watch, a volunteer group that monitors sightings, said this year has been a typical one for coyotes.
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...d-hamilton-area-incident-in-just-over-a-week/
__________________________________________________________________________________
Coyote experts say there is no reason to suspect the animals are in greater numbers or more aggressive this year in the Hamilton area, even after a couple of local incidents.
October 30th, 2018 The Hamilton Spectator
Theron Wood's golden doodle, Holly was attacked and killed by coyotes last Tuesday. - Cathie Coward/ Hamilton Spectator
A coyote spotted near Pier 8 and the outdoor skating rink along Hamilton's waterfront in January 2017. - Barry Gray, Hamilton Spectator file photo
2 / 2
Coyote experts say there is no reason to suspect the animals are in greater numbers or more aggressive this year in the Hamilton area, even after a couple of local incidents.
On Oct. 16, a goldendoodle dog was attacked and killed off the Bruce Trail, on the escarpment near Scenic Falls. The 10-year-old dog named Holly had gotten off her leash before getting into a confrontation with at least two coyotes.
And then on Oct. 25, a 10-year-old boy was jumped from behind by a coyote on the Waterfront trail of the Beach Strip. The boy's mother, Tammy Aquin, says the dog didn't bite him, but stood on his chest for a few moments and showed its teeth, before the boy punched the dog and it ran off.
The boy, Ethan, did not require medical attention, she said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources says coyote numbers do not appear to have substantially increased in recent years. Based on reports from deer hunters, a spokesperson said, numbers peaked "in 2009 or 2010 and since then numbers seem to have been relatively stable or declining slightly across most of southern Ontario."
A spokesperson from Coyote Watch, a volunteer group that monitors sightings, said this year has been a typical one for coyotes.
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...d-hamilton-area-incident-in-just-over-a-week/