Lots of people in Toronto would like the City to “do something” about the marked increase in coyote sightings and contact in the Toronto area. Noise about this got louder recently after a coyote snatched one of a Pickering resident’s Pomeranians.
Residents can’t have it both ways. If we’re going to enjoy naturalized areas within the Toronto area, we can expect them to attract wildlife, especially since previous habitat in areas like Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Maple and so on has been turned into housing developments.
I don’t know what is going on this year in particular. I’m sure coyotes haven’t just arrived on the scene. Maybe it’s a bad year for bunnies or mice or something like that. We can coexist with coyotes but I think reasonable precautions should be taken. For instance, avoid walking small dogs in naturalized areas at night or dawn or alone. I’ve been told that a flashlight helps, but I don’t know if that is true.
One thing the City can do, and in many cases has done, is put up signs that tell people to be careful, especially at dawn and dusk.
27th Street 
Well said Candy!!!
Coyotes have more right to be there than humanity does. Humanity should adapt to their presence.
A kid gets killed? Humanitys fault. Leave a kid alone it ain’t the Coyotes fault.
We really have so much to answer for you know.
What if you introduced wolves to Toronto? Would that help keep the cyote population down?
Coyote is not encroaching on the city, city robbed coyote. Coyotes have been in city for at least a couple decades.Every now and then I’ve seen coyotes on Leslie Street Spit. They’ve been there for years and years. Beavers, raccooons, possoms, deer rabbits. The Spit is nuts with wildlife. Yes, people should not leave their little outside by themselves.
I remember about 20 years ago a semi-famous actress who was friends of a friend…had her small dog killed by a coyote in LA. If the movie stars can learn to not leave their small dogs alone in back yards maybe TO can too.
Back in the 90s my sisters friends dog got attacked by a coyote in Calgary. We were in town visiting them…and the dog, a medium sized breed was pretty much traumatized for the rest of its life. It never wanted to be along after that attack. Poor guy also had a mess of scars.
I suppose its a good reminder for veterinarians will encourage rabies and heartworm products.
Hi Memphis,
How was your 1st birthday? I hope you had a great day!!!!!
My birthday was yesterday and I went to day care & celebrated it with my buddies there.
I hope we can play together again soon.
Again happy belated birthday.
Love Max
oxoxox
People can certainly co-exist with coyotes outside of the city where there is some room to move and adequate food. In fact, last week I spoke to a local farmer about them. His view is that coyotes have taken a bad rap over the years and he said that they have saved him tens of thousands of dollars in equipment repairs by keeping groundhogs under control. He went on to say there was no quicker way to make an enemy than to shoot a coyote on his property. Cattle are perfectly capable of defending themselves from coyotes and farmers will tell you they often find coyotes that have been killed by cattle. Sheep are a different issue though and coyotes can make efforts to raise them totally unprofitable.
Having said that, I am not so sure that coyotes and people can co-exist inside the boundaries of a city. They are opportunistic predators and if they see an easy meal they will take it. They are also pack animals and a host to rabies and so far Torontonians have not had to deal with either of those issues. Certainly loss of habitat is a huge issue for them and the area North of Toronto is being developed at a pace that reminds me of someone playing Sim City. That development is going to displace the coyote and many will wander into the city looking for food and this will cause some problems. Ultimately people will turn against the coyote and hunt it to near extinction. Too bad really, we have always had them living and hunting on our property and I much prefer them over groundhogs and rabbits.