Mississauga has an interactive map for coyote sightings
Published July 2, 2020 at 9:06 pm
If you see a coyote while walking your dog, you can report the sighting to Mississauga and have the wild animal’s location added to an interactive map.
The city says the map – created by the city’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team and powered by ESRI – will allow residents to report coyote sightings and for Mississauga Animal Services to better track coyote reports.
The city says the new system should not be used for immediate reports about sick/injured coyotes or animals posing a risk to the public.
“The new system will help Animal Services target areas for patrols and community outreach and education about animal-related concerns,” the city said in a news release.
“This includes awareness on how to keep families and pets safe and investigating concerns about wildlife feeding.”
Map users can also view all confirmed coyote sightings as dots on the map.
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The map can also be filtered by report types (such as regular sightings, feeding sightings, observations of sick coyotes, etc) and by month and year (going back to 2019).
To report a coyote sighting online, users can access the reporting form through the map. From there, they can log their sighting by including the location, date, time and any other information.
Anyone who comes across a sick, injured or potentially dangerous animal is urged to 311 or Animal Services dispatch at 905-615-3000.
“Coyotes, like any urban wildlife in Mississauga, are common in communities. Animal Services would like to remind residents that coyotes are an important part of our ecosystem, are normally shy and will avoid human contact,” the city said.
As far as safety is concerned, residents are reminded to never feed any wildlife and that doing so violates city bylaws. People are also advised to supervise their pets when outdoors (including in backyards) and keep them on a six-foot leash during walks. Residents are asked to keep cats indoors.
The city says that if you encounter a coyote, you should stay calm, stand tall and make loud noises and startling movements. Do not turn away from the animal.
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