Coyote encounter unnerves woman
An evening walk along the trails of Westminster Ponds in southeast London, Ont. turned into a frantic scene for Denise Singh and her two dogs.
“I’m obviously kind of traumatized by the situation. I’m not going to lie. It was very scary for me,” said Singh.
The walk along the path started as routine for Singh, until she noticed they were not alone.
“My dog had kind of ran into the woods and I was just kind of keeping an eye on her, happened to turn around behind me and noticed another ‘dog’ that was going into the woods after her. I kind of waited a couple of seconds, then I didn’t see any other human behind it, and that’s when I knew it was a coyote,” she said.
Singh admitted she panicked at that point and directed her dogs to run. The coyote followed.
Despite her yelling, the coyote stayed within 6 metres until Singh and her dogs reached the parking lot, and continued to watch while Singh crossed Pond Mills Road.
Brian Salt from Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre said coyotes are curious by nature.
“They’re quite playful animals as well. There’s very little danger with a single coyote. If there was a group of them, that could be a little more concerning,” said Salt.
According to Salt, one of the most common mistakes people make when encountering a coyote is running from it.
“That’s probably one of the worst things you can do, is to turn tail and run, because that evokes a response from the animal that they want to play. And so they’re going to follow you right? And that creates all kinds of problems,” he said.
For Singh, who had never encountered a coyote before, it was a moment that she went with her instincts
“Personally, I don’t know how you stay calm in that kind of a situation. I think had it not been jogging along behind me, I might not have been as frantic as I was, but I was screaming and I was running, it didn’t seem the least bit fearful of my reaction,” said Sing. “So, I don’t know if I would have done anything differently.”
Signs are posted near the entrance to Westminster Ponds indicating coyotes have been sighted in the area, and lists things you should and should not do when encountering one.
Salt also gives similar advice on how to scare off the creatures, “Put your arms in the air, wave them, yell at them, stomp your feet. That’s usually enough to let them know they’re not welcome.”
Salt also said if you are concerned about coyotes coming into your neighbourhood, it is important to not leave any food that might attract them into your yard.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.