‘Very worrisome’: Coyote attack on child in Durham sparks renewed safety call

Durham police are putting out a renewed safety call to parents to stay vigilant after a child was attacked by a coyote in Whitby, Ont.

Police issued a public safety advisory Tuesday after a toddler was bitten by the coyote in a public field near a wooded tree line around Coronation and Rossland roads on Monday. The boy was taken to hospital and is in stable condition.

Since Jan. 1, 2025, police have received about 50 reports involving coyotes, including five reported attacks. However, many go unreported, Const. Nicholas Gluckstein said.

He noted the number of complaints reported to police has remained relatively consistent over the past two years.

It’s difficult to know exactly what’s driving the recent attacks, said Kerry Bowman, a bioethicist and environmental studies lecturer at the University of Toronto.

Bowman suggested it could be due to a combination of factors, including people feeding coyotes and the animals “becoming accustomed to human presence.”

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Furthermore, coyotes have become a more visible part of life in the GTA than they were decades ago, Bowman said, adding that cities need to closely monitor the situation, particularly when children are involved.

“These children are quite young as well. So this is … very, very worrisome,” he added.

“What’s very concerning with the recent attacks is that if there was ever a situation where a parent wasn’t watching a child, things could go very badly, very quickly.”

Bowman added that coyotes tend to be attracted to urban areas and finding ways to live differently within these spaces is important.

The most important thing is transparency, he added.

“Parents have a right to know if there’s a threat, and we need to know what the facts are,” Bowman said.

For now, police are urging residents to remain vigilant, particularly when walking with children or pets near wooded areas. Coyotes are most active during the early morning and evening hours and may become aggressive if they feel threatened, it said.

Anyone who encounters a coyote in a populated area should report it to police so officers can track activity and alert municipal partners or animal services if necessary, Gluckstein said.

Police are also adding that people should make themselves “as large as possible and make as much noise as possible” to scare the animal away if it approaches.