Eastern Coyotes Kill Young Toronto Singer

Taylor Mitchell Dies After Being Mauled While Hiking in Cape Breton

Oct 30, 2009

The first recorded fatal attack by coyotes in Canada is a warning for people venturing into areas where eastern coyotes are found to treat them with extreme caution.

Nineteen-year-old singer/songwriter Taylor Mitchell, whose debut album For Your Consideration was released earlier this year, was hiking alone along the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on Tuesday, October 27, when she was attacked by a pair of eastern coyotes. Other hikers heard her cries for help and called 9-1-1, and an RCMP officer who was in the area responded immediately.

"Upon arrival at the scene one member (of the RCMP) had to shoot one of the coyotes that was still being aggressive," said RCMP Sgt. Bridgit Leger. "The other coyote fled into the woods."

Mitchell was airlifted to hospital in Halifax in critical condition, suffering from serious bite wounds. She died Wednesday morning, October 28.

Parks Canada has closed the Skyline trail until further notice, said Germaine LeMoine from the Cape Breton field unit for Parks Canada.

"We are keeping it closed until that second animal has been located and disposed of," LeMoine said.

Mitchell had been performing across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia during a three-week tour, and was scheduled to perform at a bar in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday. Mitchell is nominated for the Young Performer of the Year Award in the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Her family is setting up a memorial fund in her name. For details, go to her website.

Coyote Attacks on Humans

Coyotes rarely attack people, and when they do the bites are generally not life-threatening unless the victim is a young child. The only previous fatal coyote attack in Canada or the United States occurred in California in 1981, when a 3-year-old girl named Kelly Keen died after being bitten in the throat.

Coyotes are very adaptable and are well known for moving into urban areas to exploit the food resources there, and thus become very accustomed to humans. They will hunt in daylight and do not hesitate to add dogs or cats to their dinner menu, even when people are standing right next to their pets.

The Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project run by Ohio State University includes an extensive analysis of the conflict between coyotes and people. The study showed that small dogs and cats were the most common victims of coyote attacks, but two or more coyotes will go after medium and even large dogs.

Most of the attacks on people and pets were made by healthy adult coyotes, and many occurred after the coyotes became accustomed to being fed by people in the area.

“In almost a third of the reported cases (on people), it was known that coyotes were being fed (either intentionally or accidentally) near the attack site,” the report states. “One victim was bitten while feeding a coyote and another was bitten by a coyote that was being fed by her parent.”

Eastern Coyotes are a Hybrid Variety

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have been migrating eastward for the past 50 years. They were first sighted in Nova Scotia in 1977 and are now common across the Maritimes and the rest of eastern Canada. The eastern coyote is believed in be the result of cross-breeding with wolves and dogs over the past few decades, and therefore it is significantly larger than its western counterpart.

It tends to be bolder and more aggressive than either wolves or other coyotes, both of which are typically shy. Male eastern coyotes can be 45 to 70 pounds, compared to 35 to 45 pounds for the average western male coyote.

In colour, eastern coyotes tend to be grey or reddish grey, often with white markings on the sides of the face, legs, chest and belly. The coat is darker and denser than that of its western cousins.

Eastern coyotes have become a problem in many towns and cities in eastern Canada and have been observed attacking and killing pets and livestock. They are bold, often being spotted in suburban yards and parks.

The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources suggests that people who encounter a coyote should never run, as this triggers a prey response and the animal is likely to attack. Instead, slowly leave the area. If walking or hiking in an area where coyotes have been seen, always carry a large stick and don’t go out alone.

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The copyright of the article Eastern Coyotes Kill Young Toronto Singer in Wildlife Reserves is owned by Terry McNamee. Permission to republish Eastern Coyotes Kill Young Toronto Singer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.