By Evelyn Harford
Coyote-human conflict complaints are up 59 per cent in the City of Ottawa. Recently released city data shows that coyotes are spreading and concentrating throughout the city.
The reported conflicts have concentrated in areas bordering Ottawa’s Greenbelt—-a large, protected green space separating rural and urban Ottawa.
New complaints are popping up in Ottawa’s inner-city illustrating the coyotes’ increasing encroachment into urban areas.
“In recent years coyotes do seem to be more common across most urban areas of the province,” said Brent Patterson, an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wildlife researcher and coyote expert.
The City of Ottawa recognizes the regional increase in coyote populations over the last four or five years.
CITY OF OTTAWA COYOTE COMPLAINTS BETWEEN NOVEMBER 2014-FEBRUARY 2015
CITY OF OTTAWA COYOTE COMPLAINTS BETWEEN NOVEMBER 2013-FEBRUARY 2014
“Coyotes have proven themselves to be quite adaptable. They will persist in suburban and urban areas when given even the smallest amount of green space,” said Amy MacPherson, a planner within the City of Ottawa Planning and Growth Management Department.
We see big spikes in coyote travel and mating patterns in the fall and winter months said Patterson. This is why between November and February it is more likely residents will come into contact with coyotes.
Coyotes use the Greenbelt to travel between the rural and urban areas of Ottawa said MacPherson. She explained that these travel patterns could be the reason for complaint concentrations along the Greenbelt.
John Brown’s suburban house backs on to Ottawa’s Greenbelt—he’s seen coyotes before through his kitchen window.
“It was very, very mangy and covered in mud and dirt,” said Brown. “It was a fairly large animal. We actually we’re sure whether it was a large dog or a coyote.”
With it being such a long winter, Brown suspected the coyotes are venturing close to humans to find food.
“Existing family groups that may part of their territory in urban areas, may spend more time in urban areas because deep snow causes mice and other prey to be covered. The deep snow also makes it harder to get around,” agreed Patterson.
The increase in human-coyote complaints does not raise alarm bells for the City. Ottawa recognizes the increase in urban coyote population as a normal part of city-dwelling.
While MacPherson acknowledges that she doesn’t encourage petting the coyotes, she does indicate that better human-wildlife connection is necessary especially when animals are occupying populated human areas.
“Not every wildlife encounter is a conflict and we’re trying people to move towards a willingness to co-exit with wildlife,” she said.
City’s Wildlife Strategy is trying to accomplish this.
“Wildlife are here, they live with the city, not just in the natural areas that everyone recognizes as habitats, they live in the neighborhoods, in our suburbs and urban areas,” she said. “They’re not going away. They need food water and shelter and they’re going to look for those things.”
Although human contact with coyotes is generally safe, Patterson said, “Coyotes are predators’ and they need to be respected as a carnivore and potentially dangerous animal.”
Allan Hubley, councillor of Kanata South said that he has not received complaints of coyotes from residents despite his ward having the third highest complaint rate in the city.
“People who live along the Greenbelt for a while learn to respect nature,” he said.
Even if residents’ took issue with an increase in the coyote population, the responsibility for coyote population management lies with the province’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, said Hubley.
While the responsibility is downloaded onto the province, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is not able to control coyote populations.
“There is not a lot we can do to directly manipulate coyote numbers,” said Patterson. “Beyond tracking numbers, we don’t really get involved.”
Ottawa city officials are focused on education and prevention to foster greater human-wildlife co-operation. But according to the City of Ottawa Wildlife Strategy the City does not currently have staff position to devoted to wildlife issues and management.