Toronto pledges action on coyotes after incidents in Fort York, Liberty Village areas – Toronto

The City of Toronto is pledging to take action on coyotes after receiving recommendations on how to handle recent “unusually bold” animal encounters in two communities.

The city says an independent panel of wildlife experts reviewed its response to an increase in reported coyote incidents in the Fort York and Liberty Village areas between last November and this month.

Last month, the Coyote Safety Coalition – a group representing residents in the two neighbourhoods – claimed six local coyote attacks occurred in a single night, including at least two that required pet dogs to get emergency treatment.

The city says up to four coyotes in the area have learned to associate humans with food due to direct and indirect feeding, while aggressive behaviour toward dogs was found to be typical and timed with the coyotes’ reproductive season.

The panel recommended that the city set up a specialized team to assess the coyotes and use “adapted aversion techniques,” and enforce laws against dumping and feeding wildlife.

The city says the recommendations will be used to inform a coyote response strategy it expects to present to the economic and community development committee later this year.

“The city understands the urgency of this matter and is committed to completing all recommendations during this process. This work requires the participation of city staff and residents so the neighbourhood can be restored to co-existing safely with wildlife,” the city said in a news release.

“The city thanks those who live, work and play in Fort York and Liberty Village for their patience and co-operation. If animal behaviour changes in a way that affects public safety, the city will consider a range of further actions.”

Staff are patrolling the area and city employees are working to improve outdoor lighting, repair fences, increase signage and enforce proper garbage disposal, the city said, adding it is also distributing flyers and holding community meetings to “equip residents with coyote tips” and hear feedback.