The latest incident happened on Saturday at a nursing home on New Street in the Roseland area.
In a news release, the city said a woman was relaxing in a chair on the front patio at about 8:20 a.m. when she “woke up to the pain of the coyote biting her in the hip area.”
The city said the wild animal, described as a smaller sandy coyote, was startled when the woman woke up, but tried to approach her again.
The victim was able to scare off the coyote. It ran along New Street in a neighborhood, the city said.
An employee at the home saw what happened and ran outside to check on the resident, who was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Animal Services personnel are currently patrolling the area to locate this coyote and its den. They are also working with a Certified Wildlife Control Professional to “remove” it, the city of Burlington said.
“I join all my colleagues on the city council in expressing our deepest sorrow to the resident who was attacked (on Saturday) morning. We want to reassure residents that we are taking immediate action to protect our community, including convening a crisis team and a special council meeting this week to implement our action plan,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. which assured “regular updates to the community as we deal with this emergency.”
In the meantime, anyone who is attacked by a coyote is advised to seek immediate medical attention and report the incident to the Halton Regional Health Department and Burlington Animal Services at [email protected] or 905-335-3030.
“These attacks are not typical of coyotes, and this cluster of attacks on people are the first reported in Burlington,” said the city, which also urges residents to remain vigilant and report any coyote sightings to them.
On Saturday, Meed Ward spoke to MP Graydon Smith, the Minister for Natural Resources and Forestry, about this ongoing situation.
The city, in a Sept. 10 statement, said Smith “expressed sincere concern for the health and safety of our residents and is working with us to help address this serious threat to our community from these unprecedented and unprovoked attacks”.
The city said staff is also in “active discussions” with coyote wildlife management experts at the Department of Natural Resources and Forestry to “collaborate on solutions for the Burlington community.”
On the afternoon of Sept. 14, they plan to present a report to the city council for approval with recommendations for coyote management. The matter will be tabled earlier that morning when the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee meets.
In 2015, the Burlington City Council adopted a Coyote Response Strategy, which has guidelines for preventing and managing conflicts with coyotes, especially when a person is attacked by a person.
“Municipalities are responsible for taking appropriate measures to manage sightings, encounters and attacks on resident coyotes and taking appropriate action,” the city said.
Late last month, a coyote believed to be responsible for three recent unprovoked attacks on people in south central Burlington was put down. One of the victims was a two-and-a-half-year-old boy. According to the city, the toddler was on his backyard deck when a coyote grabbed him by the neck and tried to drag him away.
The city said the animal in question was identified by its “victims” and located with the help of Animal Services personnel. The city, in an earlier news release, said it used the “expertise of a certified wildlife control professional” to “remove” the animal.
Since late last month, city staff have been monitoring the area and said they have identified “several neglected properties in the area that could provide ideal breeding grounds for this aggressive coyote population.”
Bylaw officers are being dispatched and have made it a priority to ensure these properties meet the bylaw requirements so as to remove the opportunity for coyotes to hole up in these locations.
“As City Manager, I can assure all residents that protecting the community from these attacks is our absolute priority. We will direct all available City resources, including law enforcement, Animal Services and outside wildlife professionals, to respond to this crisis, including investigating and correcting coyote feeding issues and addressing abandoned facilities that contribute to this situation,” said City Manager Tim. Commisso.
The city of Burlington has even offered coyote whistles to residents in an effort to combat recent unprovoked attacks on people.
People should note that coyotes are native to North America and live in both rural and urban areas, which are particularly attractive to them as mice, rats, and garbage are easily found in residential areas.
Feeding wildlife by hand or on the ground on private or public property is prohibited under the City of Burlington’s Lot Maintenance Bylaw and may be subject to a $300 fine.
Concerns about people feeding wildlife can be reported to Animal Control. The agency can also assist residents by checking residents’ yards for attractive coyotes.
