Foray into suburbia ends badly for coyote
Posted Jan 31, 2011 05:20:23 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The latest coyote sighting in HRM was literally a little too close to home for some Dartmouth residents.
One of the wild dogs was spotted rummaging through backyards on Ellenvale Avenue Sunday afternoon, a residential area near parks and schools.
The coyote ran into the street and was hit by a car around 2:25 p.m. When police arrived on scene the animal was still alive, but badly wounded. Responding officers made the decision to kill the coyote by shooting it.
Police say this is believed to be the first time a coyote has ventured so far into a suburban area.
“We’ve had a couple in Halifax over the last few weeks in residential areas but they’ve been on the outlying areas of Halifax,” said Staff Sgt. Reid McCoombs.
McCoombs notes the neighbourhood is within walking distance of Ellenvale Junior High School, Morash Park and Clifford Park – but adds there are also some wooded areas nearby.
If residents see a coyote in their area, McCoombs says they should stay away and call police immediately.
“People may or may not be able to tell if it’s a coyote right away,” he said. “But if they see an animal, or a loose dog, or they’re not sure what it is, give us a call right away.”
Sunday’s is the latest in a series of coyote sightings around HRM. In January alone, a coyote killed a deer in Truro’s Victoria park; one was spotted near Hemlock Ravine Park; and on Jan. 21 a meter reader was attacked by a coyote at an urban farm on Rockingstone Road.
