Coyote trapping to start Friday after pet killings

After reports of coyotes killing pets around Riverside Park in recent months, the city says at least one coyote will be trapped and euthanized, if necessary, beginning this Friday.

People are being asked to avoid McCarthy Woods (owned and managed by the National Capital Commission) and the hydro corridor running along its northern border, between McCarthy Road and Riverside Drive, until the "wildlife management operation" ends, said a city news release issued Tuesday.

The bylaw department is also asking residents to keep their small pets indoors or on-leash under direct supervision, especially at night.

"Habituated coyote(s)" that no longer fear humans are being targeted, the release said, adding that there is a "limited timeframe" to do the work successfully.

The city said it will announce when the operation is over.

Riverside Park residents and Coun. Riley Brockington had been calling for a policy to deal with aggressive coyotes after the brazen killings of a small dog near Stanstead Park in September and a cat in August. 

"There's a concern in the community with the proximity of coyotes with humans and just the sheer number of sightings that we've seen, particularly in the last eight weeks … they're now in the residential communities and they are not showing fear of humans," Brockington told CBC last month.

Last week, city council voted to ask staff to report back to the community and protective services committee in 2023 to recommend a coyote management strategy.

Residents say brazen coyote has them worried for pets and small children

2 years ago

Duration 2:56

Residents of Riverside Park South share their encounters with a particularly bold coyote, which has preyed on small pets in the neighbourhood. Coun. Riley Brockington says he’d like to see a better coyote strategy from the city.