Toronto Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik has brought forward an initiative to address coyote incidents downtown, following yet another sighting earlier this week in Liberty Village.
The TikToker called out the City of Toronto for its lack of action in a video yesterday after his dog was almost snatched by the coyotes.
@nowtoronto Attention dog owners! Watch out for #coyotes that have been spotted in downtown #Toronto. ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
Coyote sightings appear to be more common lately with residents turning to social media to share their encounters. Now Toronto reported on one attack last November where a coyote lunged at a dog in Liberty Village. Luckily, the owner was able to pull her dog before the coyote caught it.
Last fall, a petition even circulated online asking the city to address coyotes roaming residential areas in the city. In response, the city says coyotes are an important part of Toronto’s wildlife and do not usually pose a risk to people, but can be dangerous for pets. The city also has a webpage dedicated to information on how to prevent and deal with coyote attacks here.
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But Deputy Mayor and Spadina Fort-York Councillor Ausma Malik thinks more can be done.
On Feb. 26, Malik pitched an action plan at a Economic and Community Development Committee, suggesting that the city assess solutions based on what large cities, like Vancouver, have done to contain their coyote population.
“I share the community’s concerns for safety of residents and their pets, and have been actively working with them and City staff to escalate response and explore all options for resolution. I am working diligently on immediate and long-term steps to address coyotes in our downtown,” Malik said in a statement.
“In recognition of the unique nature of our highly-populated downtown communities with limited green space and the emerging crisis of attacks on and deaths of dogs, as well as understandable fear from families and dog owners, action must be taken,” she wrote in a letter to the committee.
Her proposal also asks that the City of Toronto and Ontario government assess environmental impact and provide a plan for wildlife management for future construction of major projects like Ontario Place’s redevelopment, and that the province supports the city with the costs of a coyote management action plan.
“As a City, we should be using every resource, tool, and best practice we can to address issues of coyotes in our downtown to ensure public safety and education,” Malik said in a statement.
Another recommendation asks that the city provide public education material on what residents can do to protect themselves, including not feeding coyotes, keeping dogs on a leash and wearing protective gear.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ADVOCATE FOR ‘PEACEFUL SOLUTION’
A Facebook group named The Coyote Safety Coalition composed by neighbours from the Liberty Village and Fork York areas share real-time alerts of coyote attacks, documents users’ stories, and advocates for “a peaceful solution.”
“They are not moving to remove the coyotes as it is against City policy or animal control policy. The cost of these pet coyotes to the city is pet owners paying multiple thousands of dollars in vet bills and losing cherished pets,” a user wrote.
Some group members also show empathy for the coyotes, citing the recent Ontario Place redevelopment plan as a reason for the attacks.
“As a dog owner and animal lover, I feel deeply sorry for the animals affected by the Ontario Place construction. Everything happened because of this project, which has resulted in birds and animals losing their habitats due to what seems like a misguided decision,” another user said.
Group members also seem to be disappointed with the measures that are currently being taken by the city, saying that past meetings have not led to any real solutions.
“The fact that attacks are continuing indicates that whatever is being done isn’t good enough,” a user commented.
