KIRKLAND – A woman, who requested to remain anonymous, was walking her dog at Ecclestone Park when she spotted what she believes was a coyote.
This comes one month after the Town of Kirkland issued a warning to its residents about a stray coyote.
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The woman said she came across the wild animal on Thursday evening.
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“That sector of Kirkland is a good habitat for coyotes,” said Jacques Nadeau, media relations officer for Quebec ministry of forests, wildlife and parks.
The woman said the coyote attempted to take her dog; her husband tried to scare it away, but it did not react.
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According to Nadeau, a permit to safely capture wild animals with cushioned traps was delivered to the town on Friday.
Authorities will bring the animals to a different location, where they will be released back into the wild, Nadeau said.
WATCH BELOW: Coyote on the loose in Kirkland
So, what should you do if you encounter a coyote?
According to the Montreal SPCA, here’s what you should do to avoid encountering a coyote:
- Keep all pet food inside.
- Put garbage in secure containers with sealed lids.
- Keep garbage inside until the garbage collection day.
- Use securely enclosed compost bins.
- Protect your garden with a fence or grow vegetables in a greenhouse.
- Fence your property to make it less accessible.
- Fill the empty spaces under porches, decks and sheds.
- Keep your cat indoors at night.
- Teach children to respect wildlife and keep their distance.
If you do see a coyote:
- Do not approach or try to touch it.
- Do not feed them or attempt to tame it.
- Do not flee or run or turn your back on it. Back away while remaining calm.
- Get as high as possible, shake hands and make lots of noise.
- Use a whistle or personal alarm to scare a coyote who approaches you or threatening you.
- Do not let your dog chase a coyote. He could get hurt in a fight with the animal.
“It’s important to realize that lethal interference with coyotes does not resolve the situation,” the Montreal SPCA noted on its website.
“Killing them only disrupts the natural social order of the coyotes in the area and can actually create additional problems for people.”
The organization pointed out that, if the above tips are followed, humans and coyotes are able to live together.
“The Montreal SPCA believes that, by taking precautionary measures and being intelligent about our interactions with coyotes, we can learn to coexist peacefully,” it stated.
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