City of Toronto responding to coyote biting incident in Westlake Park

The City of Toronto is aware that an individual was bitten by a coyote in Westlake Park, near Weston Road and Black Creek Drive, on Saturday, May 28. Toronto Animal Services (TAS) Officers were on-site over the weekend to assess the area around the park to determine whether there is a den or there are any other factors that may be enticing coyotes. City staff have distributed educational materials to nearby residents to provide information on urban coyotes and ways to deter them.

Coyotes generally do not pose a danger to people and a bite to a human is abnormal behaviour. TAS has notified the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry about the incident and will seek their advice and direction on next steps.

The coyote from the incident over this past weekend is still at large and residents are advised to use caution when visiting the park, as well as neighbouring areas. The City will post signage at the entrance of the park to warn residents that coyotes are in the vicinity. An area has been fenced off while TAS continues its investigation.

Most interactions with coyotes are the result of a nearby, regular food source, primarily intentional feeding by people. To minimize negative encounters with coyotes:
• Never feed coyotes and don’t leave food, including pet food, outside
• Properly dispose of waste at home and in parks
• When encountering a coyote, do not run, but make noise to scare the coyote away
• Do not approach coyotes, their dens or their young
• Do not touch coyotes, even if they appear tame, sick or injured

The City has a coyote response strategy that includes public education, bylaws that prohibit the feeding of wildlife, and criteria for the removal of coyotes, if necessary. To educate residents about urban coyote behaviour, the City partnered with Coyote Watch Canada to develop the e-learning module “Coyotes in the Urban Landscape”. The module also includes tips to reduce negative encounters with coyotes and keep pets safe, so that residents, pets and wildlife can exist in harmony in Toronto.

Source City of Toronto