'I really was quite scared': Close call with coyotes leaves Winnipeg woman shaken

A Winnipeg woman is shaken after a close call with two coyotes and is now calling on the city to put up warning signs.

Brandy Pantel runs the walking trail along Kenaston Boulevard in Whyte Ridge three to five times a week with her dog Callie.

On Saturday morning, the pair made it to this spot when two coyotes approached them.

"Well, they weren't so much walking towards me. They had more of an aggressive stance, head lower than their shoulders, and I really was quite scared," recalled Pantel.

Panicked, Pantel tried to make loud noises and slowly back away.

She said the coyotes came within three feet of her as she tried to make it to the roadway.

"Thankfully, someone did call 911 on the road here. They saw my distress, and help did come."

Police were on scene in minutes, giving Pantel a chance to escape safely.

"Had this been a kid walking their dog, an elderly person walking their dog, if I hadn't seen them when I did, it could have been a very different story for me and my dog," she said.

Area Coun. Janice Lukes said she's been in contact with conservation officers.

She said coyotes have likely made a den and are having babies nearby.

"We just have to be careful and learn to live with them and keep dogs on leashes and not walk around with headsets on and be aware of our surroundings right now," said Lukes.

Lukes said she's posted a warning online and the City of Winnipeg will be putting up warning signs in the near future, something Pantel would like to see as soon as possible.

"At the very least, it would be good to have signage up to warn people," said Pantel. "Had I seen that signage or something different in the community, I definitely would have turned around."

The province said if you are walking in an area with coyotes, carry a loud noise-making device and carry a stick.

The province said you should not try to run from a coyote. Instead, it recommends moving away quietly.

If the coyote still advances, the province says to make noise and throw things at it.