4-year-old attacked by coyote in Winnipeg

A coyote attacked a four-year-old child in Winnipeg’s North Kildonan neighbourhood Friday evening – the second coyote attack involving a child in less than a week.

Manitoba’s Conservation Officer Service says the child attacked on Friday was treated and released from hospital.

They say the attack occurred in the Headmaster Row area of North Kildonan.

It’s left the neighbourhood on edge.

“Our granddaughter comes and we don’t let her go outside by herself,” resident Kathy Prevost told CityNews.

“We hear the howling all the time. Soon as the sun goes down, they’re howling in the back. My husband carries a stick, goes with a walking stick.”

Residents confirmed they hear coyotes often in the neighbourhood.

“I know every night you get serenaded by them, so you can’t really tell how many of them are there, but there are a lot,” said Darren Luellman.

“We hear coyotes howling quite regularly, but it is disturbing when they start being aggressive like that,” added Harv Friesen.

Second coyote attack in quick succession

It’s the second coyote attack involving a child in a week.

On the evening of June 24, a nine-year-old boy was mauled by a coyote in the River East area of northeast Winnipeg – at Popko Crescent and Knowles Avenue.

Police say the boy and his 15-year-old sister were walking in the area when they noticed a coyote. The animal ran towards the children as they fled. After the boy was bitten, police say a resident of the area chased the coyote away.

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“While these attacks are rare, it important that people be vigilant, supervise children closely, feed pets indoors, keep animals on a leash and reduce attractants,” the province’s Conservation Officer Service said in a news release Sunday.

“If a coyote is seen, people are encouraged to make noise, do what they can to appear large, stay in a group, and not run as that might incite a chase.”

Conservation officers say they have stepped up patrols and hired a trapper from the Manitoba Trappers Association.

Coyotes attack when provoked, expert says

Shelley Alexander, a researcher at the University of Calgary who runs a coyote coexistence program, says coyotes do not attack humans without having a root cause that provoked them.

“If that coyote has been harassed, if it has been chased by dogs or there’s been a management intervention that’s engaged dogs or pushed them out of a den or killed their pups, this can increase their reactivity,” said Alexander.

While disturbing to some, both the province and experts say coyote attacks on humans are very rare.

“Coyotes are exceedingly afraid of people. There’s always a point at which that animal will if you get close enough to it, it will move away.”

Authorities are asking people to pay close attention to their kids and pets. Anyone who encounters a coyote should appear large, make noise, keep their distance and not run.

“Very often, you look at these cases and the person actually reacts by running or standing and screaming. And both of those things will confuse the coyote and can lead to them either escalating or they can end up in a tangle.”