Manitoba conservation officers say a coyote that was euthanized in July is the same animal that attacked two children in North Kildonan earlier last summer.
In a release Thursday, the Conservation Officer Service said an analysis of the DNA profile on one of the victim’s shirts matches the profile of the coyote in question, and measurement on the animal’s teeth during a necropsy by Manitoba Agriculture veterinarians matches measurements taken from a victim’s wounds.
The initial incident happened June 24 of last year, when a nine-year-old boy was attacked by a coyote near Knowles Avenue and Popko Crescent while walking with his sister. Six days later, a four-year-old child was mauled by a coyote in the Headmaster Row area.
The Manitoba Trappers Association sent a licensed trapper into the area to find the animal.
Conservation officers said the number of human-coyote interactions dropped “substantially” in the area after several animals were removed, but cautioned that the population is expected to rebound over time.
Residents are being urged never to feed wildlife — even indirectly by feeding prey animals like birds and rabbits, which may attract coyotes and other predators.