Burlington residents reminded to remain vigilant during coyote mating season

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Published January 26, 2021 at 3:53 pm

coyote

Coyote sightings have become more and more common across Halton Region. As a result, many residents are left with questions about these animals and how to deal with them.

In an interview with inhalton.com‘s Khaled Iwamura, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward discussed the issue with coyotes that the city faces this time of year.

“Ravines and watercourses through Burlington make our community wonderfully beautiful, but the animals like it, too,” said Meed Ward.

Although coyotes are naturally wary of humans, they will seek food and shelter in residential neighbourhoods when the opportunity arises.

It’s important to remember never to feed coyotes which can cause them to become too familiar with humans and lead to aggressive behaviour.

While coyotes do a great deal of good for ecosystems, they are by nature, predators. They have been known to hunt small animals in neighbourhoods which can include cats and small dogs in extreme cases.

Due to the fact that coyotes can view pets as a threat to their territory, residents are reminded never to leave their pets unattended, especially at night, even in a fenced backyard.

“I know it can be unsettling for some folks to see a coyote from across the street or across the way,” said Meed Ward.

To keep coyotes away, Meed Ward advises residents not to put out their green bins too early and to always make sure they are secure.

“Animals are attracted by food and will come where the food is,” she said.

According to Meed Ward, there have been several instances where the City of Burlington taped off areas of parks where a coyote had moved in with her pups.

“We leave them alone until they move off,” said Meed Ward.

“The important thing to remember about coyotes is that even if we could move them all off, the next set of coyotes would take their place. There’s a reason why they’re here. We can do our part by at the very least depriving them of an easy or ready food source.”

“People have asked us if we can kill them. We can’t. The ministry of natural resources dictates that they cannot be killed or euthanized or even relocated, so we have to kind of learn how to coexist,” concluded Meed Ward.

For more information on how to protect yourself from coyotes in Halton, click here.

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