The sightings are frequent – a lone coyote roaming through a developed neighbourhood. And the fears are real with many reports of missing animals and even some attacks.
It may well be a situation of live and let live. But the coyotes wandering from their Sunnidale Park den are a concern for those living in the surrounding north-end Barrie neighbourhoods.
The vast park, with its arboretum, play area and trails, also contains a large wooded area serving as home to the coyotes, which can sometimes be heard howling at night.
Cathy Dubeau was heading home after her evening walk in Barrie’s north end when she spotted a coyote heading into Riverwood Park.
From her apartment balcony, she looked into the park below and saw the creature lying under a stand of pine trees. It remained still as a man with a large dog passed by along the sidewalk. But it began moving soon after when a woman with a smaller dog passed.
“He did kind of go towards her, then she saw it,” recalls Dubeau. “She ran off into the park. She was screaming, which I don’t blame her.
“This was nighttime, so I was concerned about people out there.”
Dubeau quickly posted her sighting on the West Bayfield Neighbourhood Facebook page, adding to long list of sightings in the area west of Sunnidale Park.
The city has erected large signs at Sunnidale Park warning of the possible dangers. A web page also contains information about living with wildlife and coyotes, as well as tips for residents.
“People are encouraged to use walking bells or other noise makers to ensure they are not quiet when moving through the forested area of the parks and stay on the trails,” says city spokesperson Scott LaMantia. “As a precaution, residents are reminded to secure garbage, supervise pets and remove attractants, such as bird seed and other food sources, that might draw wildlife.
“Enforcement staff will attend if the animal is injured or deceased on municipal property, but will not be involved with a relocation or removal of a healthy animal in a natural setting," he added.
Rebecca Sudsbury lives just a few blocks away, west of Riverwood Park, and has spotted a lone coyote wondering the neighbourhood more than once.
“Even recently,” she begins. “There’s a pretty big one, the size of a large dog,” casually meandering down the road.
While her cats primarily live indoors, they do occasionally find their way out and her neighbours are often on the alert, giving her a heads up if there’s a concern.
A handful of times she’s received a text from a neighbour whose surveillance camera has videotaped a coyote walking past their houses. Another neighbour has come knocking on her door warning of potential danger.
One time, the neighbour reported scaring off a coyote that was circling her cat down the road one day around 5 p.m. He returned a few weeks later.
“Now we were aware so we were paying attention to see if could see it strolling down the street on occasion, which we did,” she says. “Then we had an unfortunate knock on the door one morning and the same neighbour who had warned me about the coyote said I think you need to go and check I think your cat’s been killed by a coyote at the end of the street. And it was.”
Sudsbury is torn. Having had this awful experience about a year ago, she continues to make the odd coyote sighting. But she’s not demanding the den be removed from Sunnidale Park.
“I know they’re at Sunnidale, there’s signs posted everywhere,” she says. “Am I upset that it happened? Absolutely and maybe a little unnerved. What can we do? We’re trying to co-habitate the best we can.”
“Everything’s being built up so much … they’re getting pushed out where they live,” says Dubeau. “If I was going out for a walk at night, I would bring a big walking stick with me or a blow horn.”
