Nearly 600 coyote sightings reported across Mississauga so far this year

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Published September 21, 2022 at 10:59 am

coyote mississauga

Two large coyotes spotted in a Mississauga park renewed concerns about pets and personal safety.

The coyotes were seen in roaming Spruce Park, in Mineola around 7 a.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 20), according to a Facebook post on South Mississauga Communities.

While some people raised concerns about children and pets safety, others noted coyotes are part of nature.

“This is a typical time for them… sunrise and sunset,” one person wrote.

Another post, on the Lakeview Mississauga Facebook group, reported sightings in Atwater, Upper Village, Village Green, and the west Lakeshore area.

“Please be careful while walking your dogs,” the post advised.

“Keep your cats in,” another person suggested.

The sightings are not unusual but the City of Mississauga advised the animals are “more visible during the fall and winter seasons since there’s less foliage and trees to keep them hidden,” in a Facebook post this week.

“Coyotes are present in Mississauga and remain a low risk to humans,” the city noted.

Reports of seven coyote attacks on people in Burlington may have some people concerned but usually these encounters happen because people are feeding them.

Feeding coyotes and other wild animals can keep them coming back and cause them to lose their fear of people. Most interactions with coyotes are the result of accessible food sources and intentional feeding by residents, the city noted.

In a video released in August, the city reminded people not to feed wildlife. In Mississauga, residents are reminded that the feeding of coyotes, and all wild animals, is illegal and carries a $300 fine.

Residents saw a dramatic increase in the number of reported coyote sightings across the city this past spring, with over 400 spotted. Those numbers are now nearly up to 600, according to the city’s coyote sightings interactive map.

The City of Mississauga offers a few tips to live in harmony with coyotes:

  • Do not feed wildlife
  • Supervise children and pets in close proximity, even on your own property
  • Keep dogs on a leash
  • Keep cats indoors

If you come across a coyote, keep them away by:

  • Looking big and making sudden movements (e.g. use an umbrella, wave your arms, use a garbage bag)
  • Making a lot of noise
  • Walking away slowly. Don’t turn your back to the coyote. DO NOT RUN.
  • Contact Animal Services at 905-896-5858 and report your coyote or fox sighting on the city’s interactive coyote map

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