Montreal mayor says city implementing measures amid three coyote attacks involving kids

Plante said simply removing them from the island won’t work.

“The coyotes are here, we can’t just get rid of them,” Plante said. “It would just create more problems and they would just come back.”

The city launched a coyote management program earlier this year amid a marked rise in the number of sightings — about 600 in just under a year.

Montreal joined other major Canadian cities in introducing a coyote hotline this year, allowing people to call in if they see one of the animals.

Although coyotes have been a part of the city’s landscape for decades, the number of sightings in residential areas has increased greatly.

The city’s plan is to educate the population about co-existing with the animals and to intervene only to manage problematic coyote cases.

Coyotes are generally fearful of humans and have a nocturnal lifestyle. They are not generally aggressive, and it’s unclear what triggers their attacks.

Officials warn citizens not to feed or approach the animals; keep pets on a leash while walking in parks; and to back away slowly, keep calm and maintain eye contact if one is encountered.

If the creature behaves aggressively, the city suggests making an effort to appear as big as possible and scare the animal away by throwing things in its direction without striking it.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Montreal mayor says city implementing measures amid three coyote attacks involving kids

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