Third coyote attack in less than a week leaves dog dead
Posted Dec 18, 2018 11:39 am.
Last Updated Dec 20, 2018 6:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
AIRDRIE (660 NEWS) – A puppy is dead after another coyote attack in Airdrie.
RCMP were called to a home in the community of Woodside on Wednesday evening after a coyote jumped a fence entered and the backyard of the house, which backs on to a golf course, and eventually killed the dog.
Mounties were able to track the coyote on the golf course about an hour later, where it acted aggressively towards officers, so they put it down.
This attack comes after a warning was issued after two coyote attacks on people in the span of four days earlier this week. On Dec. 17, the City of Airdrie Parks Department issued a warning about coyotes, following two attacks on humans in the span of only four days.
READ MORE: Airdrie residents urged to take precautions to prevent coyote attacks
On December 17, a coyote attacked a person in Nose Creek Park, just days after another attack in the same park on Dec. 14. It’s unclear if the same coyote was responsible for the attacks.
Immediate action has been taken, including hazing activities such as spreading bear urine and setting live traps. A wildlife control contractor managed to shoot a coyote with a paint gun after the attack on Monday, which should make it easier to identify.
Staff will also be patrolling Nose Creek Park until the Festival of Lights closes to make sure there are no further attacks there. In the meantime, officials are asking people to be cautious and assist them in deterring coyotes from entering the town.
READ MORE: Coyote attacks on children dampen fun at Alberta city’s Christmas festival
To discourage them from entering neighbourhoods, remove all food sources, consider using scent deterrents, and dispose of garbage in containers with secure lids. Protect your pets by keeping dogs on a leash or in a fenced private yard and do not allow your cats to run free.
If you are out and encounter an aggressive coyote, do not back away and run as it may encourage it to chase you. Instead, shout, wave your arms, maintain eye contact, and throw sticks or stones at it.
You can report encounters to the Parks Department at parks@airdrie.ca, or 403-948-8400. But if you witness an attack, call 911 immediately.
