Coyote Attack in Cowtown

[Herbinator]

Coyote shot after 2 Calgary toddlers attacked
Last Updated Wed, 20 Apr 2005 09:49:03 EDT
CBC News

CALGARY - One coyote has been shot and a second is being tracked after two small children were bitten in separate incidents at Calgary playgrounds Tuesday.

Emergency services says a three-year-old boy was playing in Confederation Park in northwest Calgary at about 10 a.m. when he was attacked.

Witnesses said a coyote grabbed Leonard Mustafa by the head, puncturing the skin on his head, under his eye and on the left side of his face.

A worker from the boy's daycare scared off the animal, which hasn't been confirmed to be a coyote. Leonard was taken to hospital for treatment.

At 3 p.m., paramedics were called to the Rosedale Community Centre in northwest Calgary to deal with a 2 ½-year-old girl.

Ellie Judson had been attacked while playing outside with her babysitter by an animal witnesses described as a coyote.

Her mother, Suzy Judson, said the child had puncture wounds to her head and right ankle.

"We feel quite lucky ... it could have been a lot worse," said Judson. "But it's not a phone call you like to get."

Ellie was taken to hospital for treatment as well.

Mike Plato of the city's Emergency Medical Services branch said it was an unusual day indeed.

"It's more common for paramedics to respond to a call where a child had been bitten by a family dog than to respond to a call twice in the same day where a suspected coyote is involved."

At about 4 p.m., police shot and killed a coyote in the area, one of 1,000 thought to be living within the city of Calgary.

The carcass has been turned over to wildlife officials for tests.

Coyote attacks unusual: wildlife officer

Fish and Wildlife officer Ed Pirogowicz said that despite the number of coyotes in city limits, attacks are highly unusual.

"Over the last 20 or 30 years across North America, there's been something like 17 attacks that have been substantiated," he said. "So in North America that's quite a rare occurrence."

That's cold comfort to people who live in Calgary's inner city neighbourhoods, however.

Cher Ferral's house backs on to the park where Ellie Judson was attacked.

She said she has spotted several coyotes emerging from a nearby escarpment and boldly approaching people.

"It's kind of scary that they're coming right up here," she said. "I mean, you would think you could go to the park with your kids and not have to worry about coyotes.

"I think that's pretty scary."

After a pair of attacks in British Columbia four years ago, wildlife officers said the animals are venturing further into the city as they lose their fear of humans.

The animals normally target cats and small dogs, but attacks on young children are not unknown.




At least I got a couple last weekend.

[Galgo]

Interesting read Herbinator thanks.

F

[GREY OWL]

Hey Man, I just read that today in our paper. Them crazy rogue yotes. that doesn't happen very often, but twice ????

When I go shed horn hunting on our property, I always have a sawed off shotgun on my back. Its not the coyotes, but more of the bears, that get my adrenalin going. In fact I was at our property on Saturday chopping roots from a trail I got cleared, and went back Sunday and found Black Bear tracks over top of mine. Don't care much to shake paws with mama bear and her babies.

Grey Owl

[Herbinator]

By SARAH KENNEDY, CALGARY SUN

Coyote attacks on two northwest Calgary children may be the result of people feeding the animals, say wildlife officials. Members of Alberta Fish and Wildlife were patrolling a grassy area along the Bow River yesterday, near the Centre St. Bridge -- a popular spot with coyotes -- when they discovered piles of butchered beef bones and at least 15 pieces of fried chicken, said spokesman Ed Pirogowicz.

"These coyotes are comfortable with people and are approaching them and that's usually an indicator that someone is feeding them," he said.

"Until last week, we hadn't had a situation where a coyote attacked a person, walking alone without a dog, for a long time."

A three-year-old boy was attacked just before 10 a.m. on Tuesday in Confederation Park, near 10 St. and 23 Ave. N.W.

Then, at 3 p.m., a two-year-old girl was bitten on the head and ankle by a coyote while playing at the Rosedale Community Centre park at 901 11 Ave. N.W.

The attacks led police to shoot and kill a male coyote just after 4 p.m. Tuesday on the banks of the Bow River, but there is no way to know for sure if it was the animal that bit the children.

Pirogowicz said it's also likely that the children were attacked by different coyotes.

On Tuesday night, wildlife authorities were patrolling the area where the attacks occurred when they stumbled upon the bones.

Some of the beef bones appeared to be more than a year old while fresh fried chicken was placed in the grass likely that morning, said Pirogowicz.

Wildlife officials believe residents in a Crescent Heights apartment building, on 2 Ave. N.W. overlooking the river, may be throwing the food from their balconies.

Area resident Betty Anderson said locals have been feeding the animals for two or three years.

It started when a man wanted to care for a mother coyote and her four pups, which had a den on the hill, said Anderson.

"He's got a whole separate freezer of food that he buys for them.

"He just hates to see an animal go hungry, so that was his whole motivation."

A couple of years ago there were coyote attacks reported around the time a man was caught feeding them from his back porch in Edworthy Park, said Pirogowicz.


That explaines it. Some people eh?

[Woodsman]

To feed yotes? Now that's stupid!

[Gerard Dick]

Hmmmm. People are feeding yotes. Yotes are not afraid of people. Yotes are also predators. Little children are prey size. I see a connection here but the A$$ that feeds them is probably too stupid to figure it out.