Burlington has taken a step toward cracking down on aggressive coyote behaviour that’s resulted in multiple attacks on residents.
At a special council meeting on Wednesday, councillors unanimously approved a plan to take more proactive action to address the coyote situation with a number of measures, including retaining a certified wildlife professional, implementing a two-year coyote action and awareness program, reviewing the city’s animal services bylaw, and hiring more bylaw officers.
To date, the city has spent $22,850 and the additional measures are expected to cost upwards of $576,900.
The staff report presented to councillors said the status quo is no longer a “viable option.”
“The traumatic physical attacks have changed the dynamics of coyote-human co-existence,” the report reads.
“While the City’s approved protocols addressed how unprovoked and provoked physical attacks would be handled, the reality the City has experienced demonstrates the need for further proactive response tactics.”
There have been six attacks on Burlington residents in recent weeks, with the most recent occurring on Saturday at a retirement home on New Street.
A woman was napping on her patio and woke up when a coyote bit her hip, and while she was able to scare it away, she was treated in hospital for her injuries.
Officials with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry have said the attacks are likely being perpetrated by a family of coyotes that are being fed by residents.
One of the coyotes responsible for some of the attacks has been killed but the rest of the family is still at large and is exhibiting the same kind of familiarity around people that comes with being fed.
Lesley Sampson of Coyote Watch Canada said the most important way to stop the attacks is to stop people from leaving food out for them.
“Feeding changes behaviour,” she said while delegating to councillors.
“Feeding wildlife not only impacts their health, it increases their proximity tolerance to people. There’s a cause and effect.”
“There is a clear issue of feeding happening in the city of Burlington. Lots of communities are struggling with those issues. Burlington is no different. But there has to be a direct effort to curb that with education and so forth.”
Despite media coverage and more notices from the city urging people not to feed the wildlife, Coun. Shawna Stolte said people aren’t getting the message.
“Over the last three days, there’s been word of a truck dumping meat in the ravines on New Street and then pictures sent yesterday of literal bins of food left along the Centennial bike path,” Stole said Wednesday.
“So despite everything that’s going on, people are actively doing that.”
Councillors added a number of amendments to the recommendations in the staff report to go further in addressing aggressive coyote behaviour, including adding more lids to garbage cans, seeking emergency funding from the provincial government, and looking at options to increase the fines related to feeding wildlife.
Sampson said the current fine of $300 is more like a “slap on the wrist” and said increasing it to $5,000 would bring Burlington in line with the Niagara region and might do more to mitigate that kind of behaviour.
Sheila Jones, the city’s executive director of strategy, risk, and accountability, said Burlington will be working with other municipalities like Oakville on its coyote strategy.
“As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one, and collaboration, sharing ideas, and learning from others is the foundation for continuous improvement.”
The city’s plan was partially informed by a report from Burlington and Oakville Coyote Management (BCOM), a voluntary organization that was formed by residents who were concerned about a lack of action in addressing the coyote situation.
Stephen White of BCOM said he supports the plan but that it’s long overdue, condemning the city’s previous “passive, noninterventionist approach.”
The plan is expected to be ratified during the next council meeting on Sept. 20.
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