What to do if you see a coyote in Winnipeg
A walk through South Osborne went from peaceful to startling earlier this week for a Winnipeg woman, who observed a coyote in the area.
“We were warned by another dog owner, who had a larger dog, that they had seen a coyote,” said Heather Stuart.
Stuart was out for a walk around 6:30 p.m. Monday with her friend, who brought along her small dogs. The two finished their walk faster than normal that night.
When they got back to the car, they drove around out of curiosity to see if the coyote was still in the area. Within a few minutes, they spotted it.
“Our reaction was (to) turn on the brights. We had a few toys in the car. We tried squeaking [them to make] noise,” said Stuart. “We were probably less than five metres away in the vehicle. So, yeah, kind of alarming.”
Stuart said within the last 10 days, she saw two notices online of coyotes in the area.
”Which seemed a little bit different than previous years. I don’t remember ever hearing about them that often,” Stuart said.
Coyotes were also recently spotted near a school in the Linden Woods area.
The province said in terms of coyote reports, it’s been a fairly normal year so far.
“In general, in the City of Winnipeg, we get about 60 to 70 reports of interactions between people and coyotes annually, and we haven’t seen a significant increase in the number we’re getting as of yet,” said Janine Wilmot, a human-wildlife coexistence biologist with the province.
However, Wilmot noted coyotes have adapted to living in urban areas throughout North America. While it’s not as common to see them in highly developed areas, Wilmot said it is possible, more so around dusk and dawn.
“Make sure you give the animal its space. You don’t want to approach it, you don’t want to crowd it,” said Wilmot.
“If you have kids or small pets with you, [it’s] really good to pick those up because you don’t know how they’re going to respond to the situation. You don’t want them starting to run because a run can trigger a chase response in a coyote.”
In the meantime, Stuart and her friend will be taking precautions when going for their walks.
“Definitely. I think until we, or maybe even just herself, feel a bit more comfortable, we’d be doing it more in the daylight,” said Stuart. “Maybe not at dusk.”
Wilmot said you don’t need to report every time you see a coyote, only if it is deliberately approaching you, causing damage to property, or injuring someone’s animal.
She said to better coexist with coyotes, and to keep them away from your property, you should make sure to secure any garbage or compost so a coyote can’t get into it, feed your pets inside to avoid any trace of food, and clean up any mess left behind from a bird feeder.
If you do have an encounter with a coyote within Winnipeg, you can call 204-945-5221 to report the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.