Shaun Hill got more than he bargained for this week when he stepped outside his Middle Sackville N.S., home to enjoy a cup of tea — he was joined by a coyote.
“I looked and sure enough, there was a coyote there digging in the snow. I was just amazed, couldn’t believe it,” Hill said Tuesday.
Hill says he ran inside to grab his camera, lucky enough to capture the coyote wandering through his subdivision.
“I’ve seen mainland moose, black bear 30-feet-away down in (Kejimkujik National Park), I never thought I’d ever see a coyote up this close.”
Although Hill says he’s seen coyote prints in the snow, this week was the first time he’s had an interaction with the animal.
“I suspect that he may have been coming around for quite some time and with the colder weather and the snow, you’re just starting to see evidence of him,” Hill said.
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Louise Bowden, an animal welfare advocate, says her son had a scary encounter two years ago in Middle Sackville when he came face-to-face with three coyotes. There were no injuries, in fact Bowden says her son likely startled the coyotes.
She says the animals are especially prevalent along an old logging road in the area.
“The development is pushing them out into areas where they once roamed freely so it’s natural that people are seeing them now,” said Bowden.
“The area that they’re in, just over the way, that was all forest 18 months ago. So it’s only naturally that people are seeing them, they just follow their migratory pattern. But they’re really smart, I’m surprised that they’re coming out during the day.”
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The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources says they have not had an increase in reports of coyote sightings in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
“The winter is a time when there’s a lot of things going on in the coyote world — it’s breeding season, you have young animals dispersing,” said wildlife technician Butch Galvez.
“In this case, what I think caused this is feeding. So you know, coyotes, especially in outlying areas, Middle Sackville, Prospect, if they find food sources around homes, they’ll return.”
Glavez says while there tends to be an increase in coyote sightings in January, the number of reported coyotes in residential areas typically stays the same year-to-year.
He says there are some simple tips people who live in areas where coyotes are spotted can follow.
The first is to eliminate food sources.
“Many people think, well they’re a predator, I don’t have any meat in my backyard,” Glaves said.
“But something as simple as bird seed this time of year can be a food source for a coyote, a piece of bread. So eliminate all food around homes.”
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If you do spot a coyote, Galvez says to make lots of noise.
“Try to intimidate it, scare it. It’s called hazing. Beat pots and pans together, clap your hands, shout. You want to send a message to that coyote, ‘Hey, this isn’t the spot for you to hang out’.”
Parents are reminded to supervise children when they are outside playing and pet owners are also encouraged not to leave your animals alone.
“Don’t leave your little animals outside by themselves because there’s a lot of people that open their doors and just let their dogs out and one of those little dogs is going to become a meal and then of course, people are going to be all upset,” Bowden said.
Officials say despite coyote sightings, the animals are normally shy and fearful of people.
“Attacks on humans are extremely rare. I don’t want to create fear but you know, at the same time, people that live in areas where there are coyotes have to know that a few basic things can virtually eliminate issues.”
Anyone who spots a coyote is asked to report it to the Department of Natural Resources by filling out this form.
The Nova Scotia government also has a webpage dedicated to coyote information, facts and safety tips.
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