City investigating after teen attacked by coyotes in Ottawa park https://share.google/aOs7DzSFZPYVJ39Rm

A recent incident took place in Lalande Conservation Park where a teenage boy was bitten on the leg by three coyotes while biking.  He ignored the signs asking people to respect the coyote dens and rode through the park anyway.  His injuries to his legs and feet were minor, and did not even require stitches.  Earlier sightings had lead the city to close the trail.​  And the neighbours, who know these coyotes, think the story may be exaggerated.​  Coyotes can outrun a human, and the paramedics stated that they had no calls for coyote bites. The treatment at the children’s hospital after his mother drove him there was only a precautionary rabies vaccine and clean up of superficial scratches. ​ The coyotes live here, are attracted to litter, and, while described as "brazen", don't really pose any verified threat.

In response, the city has proposed hiring trappers and hunters to cull these animals in their own home.  Ottawa has a terrible track record for trapping and killing animals.  This bandage approach, which includes the use of leghold traps, snares, and shooting, is cruel and ineffective. There are far more humane solutions to managing coyote populations that don't involve killing.

Coyotes play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance by controlling rodent populations and scavenging on carrion. Removing them through such drastic measures may inadvertently lead to an increase in the population of other species, causing ecological imbalance.

One effective and compassionate alternative is to implement a comprehensive coyote management strategy. This could involve public education programs about coexisting with wildlife, secure trash storage solutions, habitat modification, and aversion conditioning to teach coyotes to fear urban areas.  A feeding ban is also needed.

Additionally, employing professional wildlife biologists to monitor coyote activities can provide valuable data on their patterns and movements.

Research on coexistence methods shows that educating communities about how to avoid negative encounters with coyotes—such as keeping pets on leashes, not feeding wildlife, and securing food sources—substantially reduces the likelihood of incidents like the one recently experienced.

By focusing on non-lethal measures, Ottawa can set a precedent for other cities in addressing similar issues, fostering harmonious human-wildlife interactions while preserving our natural ecosystems.  The City of Markham successfully handled a situation where two children were bitten without killing coyotes.

We need to urge our city officials to consider the health of both human and animal communities and implement these non-lethal humane solutions. Please sign this petition and help Ottawa lead the way in ethical wildlife management practices that ensure safety and ecological welfare for all.